Someone To Protect
by xXxXxShadowxXxXx
Summary: Kagome and Sesshomaru are together. Inuyasha runs away from the group to collect his thoughts, when he hears something coming from the well. Inuyasha finds a girl lying at the bottom of the well. Who is she and how did she come from Kagome's time? Inu/OC
1. My Name Is Phoenix

**Hey readers! I deleted my other Inuyasha story because I lost most of what I had worked on. But never fear! I'm starting anew and writing this one down in a notebook I never lose. Ever. So on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha would I be on a fanfiction site?**

**Phoenix's POV**

Where in the hell was I? One second I was falling down a well shaft, and the next I was lying at the bottom looking up at the stars.

I had been at the Higurashi shrine, just looking around, when I came to the well house. I was looking around inside the well, trying to see the bottom, when I fell in. It wasn't my fault though! I'm extremely clumsy. Completely not my fault.

But anyway, here I was lying at the bottom of a well, looking up at stars. Stars where there should have been a ceiling.

I could faintly see some vines on the side of the well. I could use those to climb out... Wait. Vines? Those shouldn't be there. But then again, neither should the sky above me. I sighed and stood up. Might as well try and get out. I grabbed the vine that looked the sturdiest and started to climb out. Not such a good idea for me.

I was about three feet off the ground when I slipped and fell. You'd think falling from that low wouldn't hurt me. It did. I landed on my ankle, and it felt like I might have sprained it.

Fabulous. Just fabulous.

I grimaced and started rubbing my ankle, trying to get rid of most of the pain. Now how was I supposed to get out of here? Nice job, Phoenix. Nice job.

Right about now you're probably wondering who I am. My name is Phoenix Dayse (pronounced like 'days'. I hate it when people mess it up). I'm from America. My parents and I moved to Tokyo about two weeks or so ago. We moved in the first place because some girls at my school thought it was just hilarious to knock me around just because I was frail and bruised easily.

And I am. Frail, that is. I was born that way. I've broken more than a few bones in my time, and I bruise real easy.

My friend Tina told me that those girls were just jealous, because guys liked me. I just laughed at her. Guys didn't even notice me.

I'm short. About five feet even. I have golden yellow hair (I hate the word blonde). It goes to about the middle of my back and has random curls and waves in it. It really annoys me, but no matter how much I style it, it goes back to how it was before. I have pale skin that almost never - okay, just never - tans. But it also doesn't burn either (thank god!). My face is pretty plain, unremarkable. The only thing about me that could catch a guys attention would be my eyes. One was forest green, and the other sapphire blue. My mother said they were gorgeous, I just liked them because they set me apart from everybody else. And I was adopted, who likes adopted people? Nobody where I'm from. But then again, people where I'm from don't like anybody different from them. Jerks.

But back to the subject at hand, I just didn't see what those girls had to be jealous of, really.

Even though I was the frail one, my mother had the frail attitude. She just couldn't take her 'angel' being beat up at school, so she told me to pick a place, any place, and we could move there.

So I picked Tokyo, we moved, got settled in, enrolled me in school, and then went sight seeing. That's how I ended up at the bottom of this well with a sprained ankle.

I sighed again, and looked up towards the sky, only to see a figure standing on the lip of the well, looking down at me.

**Inuyasha's POV**

I couldn't believe Kagome ended up with Sesshomaru. Ended up as his intended. His mate-to-be. His and not mine.

I looked down at the ground from where I was sitting in a tree, I was pretty high up, so everything looked pretty small.

After Kagome and Sesshomaru had returned to camp from wherever it is they went when they left together, and told us about them, I had just needed to get away. So I ran until I was far enough away, then jumped into the nearest tree, before looked around to see where I was. I ended up in a tree not far from the clearing where the well was.

I had been sitting there for a couple of minutes when I heard something coming from the well. Jumping out of the tree and jogging towards the well, I went to investigate. I could definitely hear something, it sounded like somebody grumbling in some strange language.

I jumped onto the lip of the well and looked down into it. There was a pale girl lying at the bottom, holding her ankle and muttering in that same weird language. She looked up and seemed to notice me after a second. Her head tilted to the side in confusion for a second before she shook it and looked away.

By the way she was holding her ankle, like it hurt, it didn't seem like she would be getting out of there anytime soon, so I jumped down into the well beside her.

She jumped when I landed inches away from her in the small space.

**Phoenix's POV**

I nearly had a heart attack when the guy landed only a couple of inches away from me.

I grabbed my chest, trying to calm down my racing heart, and scooted as far back in the small space as I could (which wasn't very far considering I was originally sitting only like six inches away from the wall to begin with).

"Are you okay?" The guy asked in Japanese. Well at least I knew I was still somewhere in Japan... I studied the guy as close as I could. Which wasn't very close, considering it was dark down here and my eyes were still watering from the pain in my ankle. I had tried (unsuccessfully) to ignore the pain. The only thing I could see clearly on him were his eyes, which were gold.

They were mesmerizing.

"I'm fine. It's just a sprain. I just have no idea where I am." I answered after a minute. In perfect Japanese, I might add. My mother had made me learn multiple languages when I was little.

"You must be from Kagome's time. That would explain your weird clothes." He said, tugging on one of my straps.

I looked down at my body, I was wearing overalls that were cutoff and rolled up so they were shorts, with a black spaghetti strap tank top that had silver stars on it, and a plain black baseball cap, on backwards of course. And my converses. They were old, black, and really beat up. I frowned. This outfit was awesome.

"What's wrong with my outfit? It's completely and utterly awesome." I turned my frown on him.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes like it was obvious. "Those clothes aren't from this time."

Time? "Then what time am I in?"

"Kagome always says it's five hundred years in the past." He said it so casually. Like it wasn't a big deal that I may or may not possibly be in the Feudal Era. I, however, nearly choked on air.

Five hundred years in the past?

The guy introduced himself as Inuyasha. At first I didn't believe I had landed in a past filled with demons, or his claim that he was a half demon. Until he grabbed me around the waist and jumped clear out of the well. I was still a little skeptical about it, but then I turned around.

He had dog ears. Dog ears. About the cutest pair of silver dog ears. Like ever, ever. I had the strangest urge to reach up and touch them. So I did. I didn't say anything, I just reached up and rubbed his ears. He seemed shocked for a second before he snapped out of it and smacked my hands away. "Oi! Wench. Leave the ears be." I just rolled my eyes and laughed. His ears were still twitching.

"And my name isn't wench. It's Phoenix." Okay maybe he was telling the truth. People from my time sure don't talk like that, and they sure didn't have dog ears. And they really couldn't clear at least 30 feet in one jump. He scowled at me, "Might as well take you back to Kagome."

That name sounded familiar. "Who's this Kagome you keep talking about?"I asked, curious.

"Kagome is Kagome. I think she said her last name was Higurashi. Don't get why people need last names..." He grumbled the last part to himself. But I wasn't listening.

Kagome Higurashi. She was the girl from my school that was always sick. Ayumi and Eri said she used to be their best friend, but now she was always sick. Ayumi and Eri were okay I guess. They had introduced themselves on my first day of school, then promptly dug their claws in and followed me around all day. I didn't mind that much, though. They shared the same views as mine on the school uniform, but they liked to gossip a lot.

And there was this Hojo guy there, too. He followed us around for a bit asking about Kagome. But we eventually shook him off when I announced I needed to by tampons. I think he almost ran away.

I was so deep in thought I didn't notice we were moving until a minute later. Somehow I had ended up clinging to Inuyasha's back, and we were running through the forest. Well he was running. I was riding. In no time we were outside a hut on the edge of a small village. Inuyasha barged in and set me down on the floor before going to sit in the corner. I scowled after him, only noticing nine pairs of eyes on me after a minute.

The girl I assume was Kagome stood up. Well, actually it was pretty obvious she was Kagome. She was wearing the same school uniform I had worn not 24 hours ago. "Hello. What's your name?" She seemed really confused as to why I was here, but also really nice. "Hi. My names Phoenix. But I already know who you are, Kagome. Apparently I'm from your 'time'." I made qoutation marks around time. She looked shocked, but only for a minute. "That would explain your outfit." She said with a smile.

"Well, why don't I introduce everyone here, then you can tell us how you got here?" Sounded reasonable enough. So I sat down by the guy in all purple and waited for Kagome to start.

"Well that lech you're sitting next to is Miroku. He's a monk, and he has a Wind Tunnel in his hand. Make sure you keep his hands in your sight." Miroku turned his head from where he was staring at the girl across the room, to look at me. In a second he was holding both my hands in his and he was up in my face. "Hello, beautiful maiden. Would you do me the honor of bearing my children?" Was he for real? I could only stare at him in shock for a minute before he was hunched over on the floor holding his head in pain. The girl he had been staring at was standing over him, holding up a huge boomerang, giving him a frightening glare. Kagome just chuckled like it happened all the time. "The girl giving Miroku a death glare is Sango. Sango's a demon slayer."

Well she was sure scary enough. She put down her boomerang and smiled sweetly at me. I smiled back, I think I was gonna like her. "This is Shippo." She said while holding up the little boy I hadn't noticed she was holding. No, wait. Little boy is the wrong description, he had paws. "Shippo's a kitsune." He smiled shyly and waved at me. I smiled back and crooked my finger at him. He seemed to think about it for a minute before jumping across the room towards me. I held my arms open to him, and caught him perfectly (surprisingly). "Why, hello Shippo." I said while crossing my eyes at him.

He giggled and climbed up onto my shoulder. "Hi! Your pretty! Phoenix is a pretty name! Are you a human? I've never seen a human with gold hair before. Or eyes like yours." I giggled as he carried on. "As far as I know I'm all human all the time. I was born with my hair and eyes." That seemed to be an acceptable answer for him because he contented himself with playing with my hair.

"This is Rin. Rin why don't you come out and say hello to Phoenix?" Kagome asked the little girl hiding behind the emotionless guy in all white. Hadn't noticed him at first either. The little girl, Rin, came out from behind him and waved timidly to me. I waved back. "Hello Rin. That's a pretty name. Where did you get it from?" She giggled and came to sit beside me. "Rin's mommy gave it to Rin." I don't know where she got talking in the third person from, it was kinda cute, but it had to go. "Your hair smells good."Shippo stated in my ear. "Thank you Shippo." Rin tentatively reached out a grabbed a piece of my hair too, before looking up at me questioningly. I nodded that it was okay. She gasped, "It's so soft and pretty! Like Lady Kagome's! Rin wishes her hair was soft and pretty too!" I giggled and looked back to Kagome for her to continue. "This is Sesshomaru. He's the Lord of the West. Inuyasha's half brother. And my mate." She said the last part quietly. "Well he will be anyway."

"He's a dog demon." She finished, looking away from him with a light blush on her cheeks. "Hello Sesshomaru." I said while bowing my head respectufully towards him.

"Hn." Was his only response. But the rest of the night I felt his eyes on me. "That toad over there is Jaken." Toad? Oh... Now I see. Ew. "This is Kirara. She's a two-tailed fire neko." Kagome held up about the cutest cat ever! "She's so cute! Come here girl!" I held my arms open so she could jump into them. She studied me for a minute, before blinking and jumping into my arms. I scratched her head and curled her into my chest. She snuggled her head under my chin and started purring. I hadn't noticed that everyone, well, everyone minus the kids (who were still fascinated by my hair), were kinda tense, but they all seemed to relax after Kirara accepted me. She must be a good judge of character.

"And this," She paused and gestured to the old woman sitting on the other side of the room, "Is Kaede. Kaede is the priestess of this village." Kaede peered at me for a minute, like I was something she had never seen before. "Ye have the eyes and hair of a demon, yet yer aura is human. What was yer name child?" Eyes and hair of a demon? They must never have seen blonde humans before. Or humans with eyes like mine. "Phoenix. My name is Phoenix."

"Phoenix, are ye in possession of a shard?" Shard? Shard of what? "I thought I noticed the presence of a shard too." Kagome piped up. "Shard of what?" I asked after a minute of everyone staring at me. "Of the Shikon Jewel. Or the Jewel of Four Souls." Inuyasha cut in from his corner. I think that was the first time he's spoken since we got here.

I nodded. "I know what that is. I've read about it. It can grant any wish, but only a pure wish will make the jewel disappear. Or something like that." Kagome nodded that I got the general idea.

"Well," I pulled out my necklace, "Is this a shard of the jewel?" Kagome nodded her head, but she was staring at the jewel in astonishment. She held her hand out for it, but then drew it back a little, looking up at me in askance. I hesitated for a second before pulling the chain over my head and handing it to Kagome. "You'll give it back to me right? I've had it since I was found." Kagome looked confused over the 'found' part, but she shrugged it off and looked down at the jewel. She concentrated for a second and the jewel glowed softly. Kagome gasped and looked up at me, but in a different way than before.

"What?" What was with her?

"It's completely pure. Absolutely no taint in it what-so-ever. I've only ever seen jewel shards like this after I've touched them. Hmm..." She trailed off, staring into space.

My necklace was really pretty. The chain was plain, just silver. But the stone hanging off it was what always fascinated people. It was light pink, and now that I think about it, it was shaped like a shard. But it sparkled in the light, and when other people touched it it seemed to darken in color, but it would go right back to pretty light pink when I touched it. I just don't see what had Kagome so fascinated by it.

"Does Lady Phoenix have miko powers like Lady Kagome?" Rin asked after a minute of silence.

"She has no such aura." If I were the type of person to do such a thing, my mouth would have been hanging open. I didn't know Sesshomaru talked. Well, I mean, everyone can talk, but I just didn't think Sesshomaru could. But his word seemed to settle the discussion. For now.

I settled for playing with the kids for the rest of the night. But I could still feel Sesshomaru's eyes on me. Not in a bad way, just like he was trying to figure me out.

I thought I felt another pair of eyes on me, but every time I looked around nobody else was looking at me. About half an hour later the kids were yawning like crazy and I was following suit. I must have nodded off for a second because I was woken up by being licked on the cheek by Kirara. "Sorry Kirara." I mumbled sleepily.

She just blinked and jumped off my lap, then started tugging on my shoelace, leading me to the last empty corner. If I weren't so tired I would have had a better reaction when she turned into a bigger cat. I just took it in stride, and curled up into her stomach when she laid on the floor. Rin curled into my stomach and Shippo curled up by my head. We were all out of it in the next couple of seconds.

**Kagome's POV**

I can't truthfully say I was too surprised when Inuyasha came back with Phoenix. I had had that feeling all day today, that feeling I always get right before something good is going to happen to us. I guess Phoenix was the good thing. She seemed really nice, and the kids liked her. They were even all sleeping together with Kirara.

"So this girl, Phoenix, she seems all right. Don't you think, Kagome?" Sango asked after a minute, probably to make sure Phoenix was asleep. "Yeah, she seems all right to me." I agreed with Sango, but I needed everyones opinion before I made my decision on what to do. "She could be a trap. Sent here by Naraku." Miroku piped up from across the room.

"No." It was just one word, spoken with authority, but it stopped all thought that Phoenix was bad.

"What makes you say that Sesshomaru?" I asked. How would he know?

"I know this ningen." He paused, and some emotion I couldn't quite catch passed through his eyes before he continued. "But if she is who I think she is, then she's not ningen at all."

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

**Chapter 1 is at an end. Who is Phoenix, exactly? How does Sesshomaru know her? Why was the jewel shard she had completely pure? All these questions will be answered soon, dear reader. I have nothing else to do right now, so I'll start on Chapter 2 and it should be up in a few days. Sorry for any spelling errors. I've looked through it once but if I missed any just let me know if its to hard to figure out what I was trying to say.**

**_- This chapter has been edited. I started this story in 2010 and I wasn't as good a writer or grammar Nazi I am now. I didn't want to change the way things happened, even though some of it could be better... Anywhore, edited, but the same. Enjoy!_**

**XoXo**

**Shadow**


	2. I Find Out Who I Am

**I'm really bored right now... So I'm making Chapter two... Props to the person who gave me my first review! The name they left was mashundia. So if your reading this here's Chapter 2...**

**Disclaimer: It's called a disclaimer for a reason...**

**Phoenix's POV**

It started off as a wonderful dream. I was walking along a beach with white sand, and there were so many pretty shells and stones along the shoreline. The water was that clear blue green that it always is in ads for Jamaica, and other vacationy places. When I looked around I could see the most beautiful palace sitting in the long grass just off the sand. It was all white stone with sapphire blue flags topping the towers.

I kept walking, and soon I had passed the palace completely. After walking a couple dozen more yards, the shoreline veered off, like the palace was in it's own little corner of the world. I tried to stop walking, and turn around to go back to the castle, but I couldn't. I guess I was just hitching a ride in this body, not controlling it.

But it was my body. I have no idea how I knew, but I just did. My body (I refuse to think of it as myself if I'm not in control of it) kept walking for a couple more minutes, until the shoreline veered off into the ocean again. I turned back towards land and noticed that it had gradually risen into cliffs, so that I was now standing under one. The cliffs hung over the water aways where the shore turned, making the clear water look almost black. There was a cave in there, that was yet another thing I have no idea how I knew in this dream. Just like the fact that I knew I was dreaming. Sometimes I've no idea whether or not my dreams are reality, until I wake up.

My body walked forward and dipped its toes in the water, swirling them around and making ripples in the water. I wasn't allowed in the cave.

Oh my goodness. That was not my thought. Maybe I'm more tapped into this body than I thought. The thought sounded just like me, when I was five. Little me stood there for what felt like hours, just playing in the shallow water. Occasionally I would hear a stray thought, wondering what was in the cave.

Then, the scene changed.

I was running through a large hallway. The entrance hall to the palace. I didn't notice any of the things on the walls, or the beautiful rug I was running on.

I noticed none of it because it was all covered in blood. Blood was splattered everywhere. Blood on the paintings, blood on the ceiling, blood on the floor, everywhere. But I only noticed the blood in hindsight. Every fiber of my attention was on the woman running towards me, yelling at me to turn around. Turn around and run away, go to the cave. Hide in the cave. But I didn't listen. Why didn't I listen?

She looked like me. Her hair was almost exactly the same as mine, except it was longer, to at least the back of her knees. Her skin was paler than mine, but maybe that was just because she looked terrified. She was really pretty, too. Except both of her eyes were the sapphire blue of my left eye. We were about ten feet apart when I felt the most excruciating, searing pain in my chest. I looked down to see the tip of a black sword sticking out of my chest.

Everything went black, and blurry around the edges.

The dream ended with me being caught in a pair of strong arms, and looking up into the face of the woman, and feeling her teardrops fall onto my face. _Mother... _was the last errant thought I heard before I was jolted awake by a large hand on my shoulder.

My eyes shot open, seemingly of their own accord, to look up into a pair of gold eyes, inches from my face. At first I thought it was Inuyasha, but then I noticed that this set of gold eyes held no emotion. "Er, what is it, Sesshomaru?" I asked quietly. Everybody else was asleep. "You were thrashing in your sleep." Most likely because of my nightmare. "I'm sorry. I was having a nightmare."

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked sleepily from the other side of the room.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Did I wake you up?" She shook her head and looked at me expectantly.

"I'm fine. Just a little shaken is all." From the look on her face, she didn't believe me anymore than I would have believed myself.

"Well, why don't you come with me and Sango to take a bath, and tell us all about it." A bath sounded nice, so I nodded and looked over at Sango. She was sitting up and looking at me with the same expectant look as Kagome.

Ten minutes later we were walking through the forest accompanied by Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and Shippo. Both of whom said they were going to watch over us from a safe distance, so as to see that we came to no harm. I think they were just overprotective.

When we got to the hot springs Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had to check around for trouble, before they left us to stand guard. Sango and Kagome were already in the water, so I followed suit and stripped before getting in.

Kagome and Sango were both emerged in the water, leaning against some of the rocks lining the springs. Both looking at me, still expectantly. "Well, Phoenix, I hope you don't mind Inuyasha and Sesshomaru hearing about your nightmare. Because they're still close enough to hear every breath you take. Right Inuyasha?" She said the last part in the same tone of voice as before, no louder, no softer. Inuyasha answered anyway.

"Yeah. That's right." He yelled from wherever it was they were waiting.

I just shrugged. "I don't really care. I mean, it was just a dream after all." I mean, it was just a dream, right?

"So," Kagome drawled. There's that look of expectancy again. I sighed, and settled myself against a smooth stone across the spring from them. This was gonna take awhile.

"It started off as such a lovely dream. I was walking along a beach with the most beautiful white sand. There were tons of pretty stones and shells on the shoreline, and the water was such a clear blue green. Then I turn my head and I see this huge, beautiful palace made of white stone, all I really wanted to do was stop and admire it, but I kept walking. I wasn't in control of the body in my dream. I kept walking and rounded a corner, up ahead there was another turn in the shoreline, kinda like the palace was in it's own little corner of the world. I hadn't noticed but the ground had risen into cliffs as I walked, they overhung the corner and stuck out over the water. There was a cave in there. I don't know how I knew. I just did.

After awhile of just playing around in the shallow water, wondering what was in the cave, the scene changed. I was running through the entrance hall to the palace. I didn't notice any of the pretty things, because they were covered in blood. And I didn't notice the blood because every aspect of attention I had was focused on the woman running towards me.

She looked exactly like me. Both her eyes were the midnight blue of my left eye. Her hair was the same as mine, just longer, to the back of her knees. Her skin was paler, but maybe that was just because she had a look of utter terror on her face. She kept yelling at me. Turn around, run away. Go and hide in the cave.

We weren't very far apart when a big black sword was shoved through my chest, the tip sticking out. It hurt so bad, I thought I was going to die. I remember being caught in a pair of strong arms, looking up into the face of the woman, and feeling her teardrops hit my face. Then Sesshomaru woke me up." I don't know why I didn't tell them about hearing little me's thoughts. There was just something in my gut telling me to shut up and at least keep something secret.

Kagome and Sango exchanged a look, before Kagome swam over and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "I think she was my mother." I whispered. I felt something wet roll down my face. I reached up and touched it, letting it catch on my finger. I hadn't submerged fully in the water, so I wasn't surprised to see one single teardrop sitting on my finger. That was all I allowed to come out. I haven't cried about not knowing my real mother before, and I sure as hell won't start now.

I wasn't paying enough attention to Kagome and Sango, so when they both squealed and went almost all the way underwater, I just looked around confused. Until I saw Sesshomaru standing at the waters edge - Inuyasha standing behind him looking at him like he was crazy - looking at me like he was just realizing who I was.

I let out a squeal of my own, and submerged up to my neck. "Sesshomaru! What the hell's the matter with you?" He didn't dignify my coarse question with an answer, just stooped down on the balls of his feet and motioned for me to come over to him. I hesitated, before warily swimming over to the edge.

He didn't say anything just began dragging a claw through the dirt by the water, drawing all sorts of patterns that looked like unfinished symbols. I was to busy thinking things that would NOT make my mother proud, to notice I had finished each and every symbol in only a few seconds. What can I say? I have a short attention span. I actually only noticed when I heard a very, very quiet intake of breath. I looked up from doodling more weird symbols, to give Sesshomaru a confused look.

I nearly gasped myself. I could see one clear emotion on his face. Shock. "What?" I snapped after a minute of him just staring at me, shocked. He slowly reached out and brushed the back of his hand across my cheek. If I hadn't watched him do it, I would have sworn I imagined it, the touch was so light.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. "You know who I am. I have no idea how, but you do." I had no idea how I knew that either. "Of course I know you. You used to be my best friend." After stating that (without any explanation I might add) he walked away, followed by a confused Inuyasha, to let us finish our bath.

And that was what we did. The rest of our bath went in silence. Kagome and Sango shot me confused looks every now and then, but they didn't say anything. When we got done we walked back to Kaede's hut in silence. This had better be good.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

"W- What?" I was sitting in the middle of Kaede's hut, surrounded by everyone.

Sesshomaru had just got done telling us how he knew me. It all fits.

I was from this time, originally. That's why I could get through the well. That wasn't a dream, it was a memory. It explained the scar on my chest, the scar was only a shade paler than my skin, so it's kind of hard to see, the woman in my dream was my mother - as if that's not apparent by now. And the person who had stabbed me was my half brother. He and my parents had gotten into a huge fight over who would inherit everything. Me or him.

Technically it should have been him since he was older, or so he thought. So they got really into it, and started fighting. And when I returned from playing outside and he thought he would get rid of me, just to inherit everything once my parents stepped down.

That part horrified me. "How could you even attempt to, let alone actually, shove a sword through family? Even, if only half? You're still family, whether you like it or not." Inuyasha looked a little guilty after I said that. Hmm... I wonder why? "You're still not telling me what that makes me." I stated, looking Sesshomaru in the eye.

He searched my face for a moment, but all he would find was determination. "You were an immortal. Daughter of Kyo and Zuri, Lord and Lady of the Northern Lands." I nearly choked on air, again. That seems to be happening a lot lately.

Immortal? Was he sure? He seemed sure. That kinda explains why I'm still alive. Sesshomaru went on to explain the things he knew about immortals. We could only be killed at the hands of another immortal. And if that didn't happen then we would live as long as we liked. I just couldn't quite absorb the fact that I was one.

Suddenly, I felt crowded. "I need some air." I managed to croak before I was outta there, and running.

I found a small spot a little ways into the forest, it wasn't on a trail but it was clear and the trees covered almost all of it, except for the parts where sunlight broke through the leaves. I sat down in the middle, trying not to break down. I had gone for ten years without knowing anything about who I had been prior to when I was found, and I was okay with that. Now that I knew practically everything necessary, it was overwhelming.

Memories kept flashing before my eyes. Some of feelings, others sounds, and some like the dream, scenes. Feelings like somebody brushing my hair, and the sound of somebodies laughter joining mine, alternating between a higher, almost angelic laugh, and a lower, boyish one. The scenes playing through my mind were mostly of running through the gardens with a little silver-haired boy while our parents did business. A little silver-haired boy with golden eyes. I knew that little boy was Sesshomaru, but I doubted it. I doubted it a lot.

Because in every memory of him, that little boy was smiling.

Tears kept leaking unbidden from my eyes. I didn't bother wiping them away, there was no point, more would take their place.

**Inuyasha's POV**

Everyone was silent after Phoenix ran out. "Somebody should go after her." Sango stated into the silence.

Kagome stood up at the same time I did. "No." She shot me a confused look and opened her mouth to protest, but I was already at the door. "I'll go." I didn't give her a chance to reply before I was following Phoenix's scent trail. She better not have gotten into any of trouble.

I found her soon enough. She was sitting in a small clearing, with one side facing me. Suddenly sunlight broke through the trees, seeming to set her hair on fire, making it light up and setting off a soft glow around her, making her look almost angelic. I took a step forward, accidentally stepping on a twig. Her head snapped in my direction. "Who's there?"

I took a step out of the tree-line. "It's only me, wench." She rolled her eyes at that. Only then did I notice the tears streaming down her face.

"Oi, why are you crying?" She didn't say anything for a minute, just sat there looking at me, tears still running down her face.

Then she was flying at me. "Hey! What are you-" At first I thought she was gonna try to attack me, until her arms wrapped around my neck and she was hugging me like her life depended on it. "H-Hey! What are you doing?"

She didn't answer, she just started crying, well, more like sobbing. She just stayed there, crying. I hesitated a moment before slowly returning her hug, seemed like she needed it.

I had the weirdest urge to make her stop crying, so I just let her hug me.

**Phoenix's POV**

Inuyasha returned my hug, slowly, yeah, but he returned it. I didn't plan on surprise attacking him with a hug, it just kinda happened. The memories were getting overwhelming, one playing after another with no break in between. Almost all of them heartbreakingly happy. So I had no idea why I was crying. After a moment Inuyasha slowly sank to the ground, letting me rest in his lap.

After awhile I was just sniffling, then I wasn't crying at all. I pulled back and looked at Inuyasha. "Sorry I got your shirt all wet."

He just shrugged his shoulders. "Keh. It's all right. Just don't cry anymore." Gosh, I was exhausted. I rested my head against his shoulder, intending on only resting a minute before getting up to go back, not fall asleep.

But apparently my body wasn't listening to me.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

**Chapter 2 is no more. So with Inuyasha, sorry if he's not, for search of a better word, right. But I'm working on it! I'd also like to thank nightfalcon222, and OXOXPoisoned-AngelXOXO for giving me my second and third reviews! So Phoenix fell asleep on Inuyasha... Well she has been emotionally drained so let's hope a certain hanyou doesn't mind. What comes for the chapter ahead? You'll see dear reader, you'll see. ;) So I'm really bored right now and after finishing this I'm going to start right away on Chapter three, soooooooo, I guess I better go now!**

**_- This chapter has been edited. I started this story in 2010 and I wasn't as good a writer or grammar Nazi I am now. I didn't want to change the way things happened, even though some of it could be better... Anywhore, edited, but the same. Enjoy!_**

**XoXo**

**Shadow**


	3. I Get Kidnapped

**So here's Chapter 3 as promised. I'm staying the night at my grandma's house and she doesn't have internet, so I'll have to upload Chapter two and this chapter (when it's finished) when I get home. But I figured while I'm here I'll bring the laptop anyway and write on my story. I don't want to disappoint you, readers, so here it is...**

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha and crew, sadly, do not belong to me. But I claim all rights to Phoenix and her family! (They came from my brain...)**

**Phoenix's POV**

"Yashaaa!" I knew I was whining, but I didn't give a crap. I was sick and tired of walking. I had been with the gang for about three weeks or so, and it was like endless walking. I didn't mind much, well, excluding right now. Right now I hated walking with a passion.

During my three weeks of walking I had gone through two growth spurts, and now reached Inuyasha's shoulders. The muscles in my legs were becoming more defined, and I had lost some weight, mostly in my thighs and around my waist. I don't know if that made me happy, or whether it irked me. Now my already baggy overalls were baggier. In all my time with the group the person I had become closest to, oddly enough, was Inuyasha. He was my best friend.

"What?" Aforementioned hanyou snapped back at me.

"It's almost dark. We ain't gonna find anything today. So quit being a damn slave driver, and STOP WALKING!" I had been walking up to stand right in front of him as I yelled.

"Keh. Why should I?" He grumbled at me.

Okay, time to switch tactics. "Pretty please?" I asked, pulling my best puppy dog face, making sure my eyes glazed over, and my bottom lip was trembling. It always worked on my dad, and I wonder if it will work on Inuyasha.

He glared down at me, his eyes slowly softening until he closed his eyes and sighed. "Fine." He ground out.

"Yay!" I squealed, clapping my hands together. I did a couple of cartwheels down the path, not quite sure why. Oh well. I heard a little gasp when I was done with my display.

I looked back to see Rin running up to me. "Will Lady Phoenix show Rin how to do that?" She asked while mirroring the puppy dog face I had just used on Inuyasha. Gosh, it should be illegal for a kid to be that cute! Her and Shippo were going to be the death of me.

"A cartwheel?" I looked up from her face to Sesshomaru. He had been glaring daggers at my forehead, now straight into my eyes. I smirked and looked back at Rin. "Of course I will, Rin." Sesshomaru growled lowly at me, I couldn't hear but I could sort of... feel it, in the air.

"Ah can it Sesshy." I giggled when he growled again. Apparently that's what I called him when we were little, so why couldn't I now? Kagome had adopted the name too, calling him Sesshy all the time.

We set up camp in the middle of a meadow not far from the path we had been on. In a matter of minutes both Rin and Shippo were doing cartwheels around the meadow, only stopping when they were both to dizzy to go on. By that time the sky was purple in color, and stars were popping up everywhere.

Kagome and I giggled quietly to each other as we picked them up, Rin with her, Shippo with me. I walked around and sat dow next to Inuyasha beside the fire. Shippo snuggled into my chest and mumbled something I didn't quite catch. "What was that, hun?"

Shippo raised his head and blinked up at me. Again with the cuteness that should be illegal! "Would you sing me a song Aunty?" Shippo had taken to calling me Aunty, and I noticed he called Kagome mom.

I smiled softly at him. "Of course baby. Why don't we see if Rin wants to listen, too?" I looked up to see Rin nodding her head vigorously, looking at Sesshomaru for permission. He nodded once, before looking away.

I got up again and walked around the fire, snuggling into Kirara's side. She had become mine, and occasionally Shippo's and Rin's, sleeping companion. Shippo snuggled further into me and Rin ran over and snuggled into my side. These kids loved snuggling with a person, if you'd let them.

I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the fact that everyone else was watching me too, not just the kids. Even Ah-Un seemed to be watching me. Here goes nothing. "I'll sing you a song my mother used to sing to me when I was little and couldn't get to sleep. It's nothing special, almost everyone where I'm from knows it." I took a deep breath, and began.

_"You are my sunshine,_

_My only sunshine._

_You make me happy,_

_When skies are gray._

_You'll never know dear,_

_How much I love you._

_So please don't take my sunshine away._

_The other night dear,_

_While I lay sleeping,_

_I dreamt I held you in my arms._

_But when I awoke dear,_

_I was mistaken,_

_So I hung my head and cried._

_You are my sunshine,_

_My only sunshine._

_You make me happy,_

_When skies are gray._

_You never know dear,_

_How much I love you._

_So please don't take my sunshine away."_

"Wow, Aunty! You have such a pretty voice! Will you sing another song?" Shippo exclaimed not ten seconds after I was done singing. Rin immediately agreed, and soon both kids were begging me to sing again. "Nope. Time to go to sleep." They both pouted, but eventually fell asleep.

"Wow, Phoenix. You really do have a good voice." I blushed probably about ten shades of red and thanked Sango for the compliment, going even redder when I heard agreement from everyone.

Especially Miroku, he had said, "Not only the face and figure of an angel, but also an angelic voice!" Sango turned a shade of red to rival mine and got up, probably to deliver him a good beating for that comment, but Inuyasha beat her to the punch. Literally.

Miroku probably had a pretty good sized goose egg from the impact of Inuyasha's fist on the back of his head.

"Keep your comments to yourself monk." Inuyasha bit out around a growl. He sure has been doing that a lot lately. "Thanks Yasha." I mumbled around a yawn. Gosh, I was tired.

Later, I'm not sure how long, I was being shaken awake by a hand on my shoulder. I growled at the person, well, I tried to anyway. I heard a chuckle. "Did you just growl? Cute. Now get up." I was about to show Inuyasha just how cute I was in the mornings, when a huge thunderclap sounded overhead. My eyes flew open and I hurtled into Inuyasha's lap. "Why didn't you say it was storming?" I asked shrilly. Inuyasha looked down at me, confusion spreading across his face.

I couldn't exactly blame him for being confused. I knew that he could see the wild panic, that I was trying so hard to beat down, in my eyes. "What's wrong?" Just as he asked it thundered again and lightning struck, almost directly above us. I jumped, and pressed myself closer to Inuyasha.

"Please tell me you woke me up so we could find somewhere dry and safe?" He studied me for a minute before slowly nodding, his expression going from confused to worried. Couldn't blame him for that either. Even I had heard the panic rising in my voice.

What can I say? I'm absolutely terrified of storms. I looked around and noticed everybody awake, just finishing packing everything. Kagome and Sango were looking at me, concern marring their faces.

"I will give my firstborn child to whoever gets me the hell out of here." I said to the group at large, pointedly looking at Inuyasha. "Please." I let a little bit more of the alarming panic slip into that one little word.

Inuyasha studied me again before slipping his arms around me and standing up. "You guys won't mind if I take Phoenix to the cave and we wait there for you to catch up?"

Kagome looked sorta shocked, but she shook her head and waved us off. Inuyasha tightened his grip on me and took off running. Just as we broke through the trees and onto the path, it started raining.

I took time to actually look around while we ran. It was dark outside, the sky occasionally lighting up with lightning. There was this odd moment of silence, you know, the one that always happens before those thunderclaps that scare the shit out of you? "Almost there." Inuyasha murmured without looking at me. I had started shaking, and Inuyasha's grip tightened around me again, almost painfully.

We made it to the cave Inuyasha had been talking to Kagome about, about fifteen minutes later. "Okay," Inuyasha said as he set me down on the floor of the cave. "Why are you so scared?" He asked it so quietly, like he was scared I would get mad at him or something.

"The first thing I remember about myself is waking up, terrified. I was in the middle of a cornfield. I had been woken up by the rain and hail. It was storming so bad, thunder every two seconds and lightning in between. Rain pouring down so hard from the sky it hurt, if you payed attention to the raindrops instead of the hail. It was so cold too, in the middle of autumn.

I remember standing up and running, and running. I couldn't find my way out of the field. It took me hours to get to the edge and find a road. By then I was soaked completely through, my teeth chattering, and I was shaking. I was so tired, I ended up almost getting hit by a car. That's how I was found. Lying in the middle of the highway, almost unconscious, no idea who I was or what happened to me." I was still shaking, just more violently. The storm outside was starting to resemble the one I had just described.

The odd moment of silence was finally broke by about the biggest thunderclap I have ever heard. I let out a shrill scream and jumped into Inuyasha's lap. "Sorry." I mumbled after I realized what I had done. He just shook his head and wrapped his arms around me again. I smiled. "You're a good friend, Inuyasha." I stated, settling my head into his shoulder, trying to calm down.

"You're shaking so hard." He murmured quietly, most likely to himself. "Don't be scared. I won't let anything hurt you. I promise." I knew Inuyasha was my best friend for a reason.

"Are the others close?" I was trying to distract him while I attempted to stop shaking. I could hear the storm fading away, and that helped a lot. "Yeah. They're about five minutes away."

Soon enough I was only shaking a little every few seconds. Inuyasha seemed to notice, and loosened his arms a little. Only then did I notice that we were kinda soaking wet from the rain. I started shaking again, not from terror though, from cold. Inuyasha looked down at me, confusion seeping back into his face. "Cold." I have no idea how I hadn't noticed how cold it was in here. Inuyasha didn't seem to be affected by it though.

In fact, only his hair was wet, his clothes had already dried. Humph, stupid hanyou with his stupid special clothes.

Inuyasha sighed and picked me up and set me on the floor, then stood up. I shot him a dirty look for setting me on the floor (it was cold too!) before looking away quickly, a blush rising on my cheeks. He had just finished slipping his haori off his shoulders, exposing his chest to the cold air. Who knew Inuyasha had a six pack? I guess it kinda should have been obvious...

I was shaken out of my thoughts by something being dropped on my shoulders. It was Inuyasha's haori. I looke up at him as he sat down, but he wouldn't look me in the eye.

"Better?" He asked as he lifted me back into his lap.

"Much." I said, yawning. I hope Inuyasha didn't mind, because this was the second time I had fallen asleep sitting in his lap since we met.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

I woke up to a slight rocking motion. I looked around and realized I was still in Inuyasha's arms, and he was running. A weight landed on my stomach, and I looked back to see Shippo waving at me, sitting on my belly. "Aunty! You're awake!"

"Morning Shippo." I mumbled, stretching my arms as much as I could in my current position. Inuyasha snorted. "What?" I snapped at him.

"It's more like the afternoon." I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at him.

"Afternoon Shippo." I amended. "So, why are we running?" I asked as I looked down to watch the ground go by. We were going faster than I thought.

Shippo opened his mouth to answer but Inuyasha beat him to it. "Kagome senses a large jewel shard this way. That can only mean one thing: Naraku. He has all the shards we don't have."

I nodded my head, I remember the night Kagome and Sango had told me about him. After I digested what they had told me I had said that it sounded like Naraku could use a hug. Bad. Everyone had stared at me for a minute, before bursting out laughing. Well everyone minus Shippo, Rin, Jaken, Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha. The kids and Jaken because they were across the clearing playing, well more like the kids torturing Jaken.

But Inuyasha and Sesshomaru both just stared at me. They knew I was serious.

Soon we broke through the trees and Inuyasha stopped running. He turned around before I could see what was going on and set me on my feet. I tried to lean around his shoulder to see what was happening, but he stopped me. I looked up at him, confused, but I didn't say anything when I saw his face. It was completely composed and serious.

"Keep a low profile and don't draw attention to yourself. I already lost one best friend. I can't lose another." I was gonna protest, but I softened after he said that. Nobody had told me about him and Kagome's past, they hadn't needed to. I just kinda knew. "Let me protect you."

"I will. Good luck." I whispered before reaching up and pecking him on the cheek. He blushed and turned around, unsheathing Tetsusaiga. I backed up and leaned against a tree, looking up at the sky. It was still cloudy, I couldn't see the sun.

I noticed I was still wearing Inuyasha's haori, and he was still shirtless. I didn't watch the fighting start, and I didn't listen to what was said, I just watched the clouds. Until I noticed something off.

Lately I had been being able to do things that were weird. Like I could feel somebodies life force, not their aura, just their life force. Sesshomaru said there was a difference. When I looked at a person I could see it, a faint glow of sorts surrounding there body.

And if I wasn't looking at them I could feel it in my chest.

I finally looked at the battle, and gasped. I could see the evil humming around in the air. Naraku was just like they explained, wearing a creepy white baboon pelt. Tentacles were shooting out from underneath the pelt keeping everyone from getting to him. But it wasn't Naraku. His life force was missing. This had to be one of those demonic puppets Sango said he was fond of. I stood up and ran out from under the trees. I knew Inuyasha would get mad at me, but I thought he needed to know.

I sucked in a huge breath and yelled,"Inuyasha!"

He only spared a glance in my direction. "What?" He snapped back. But I knew he was listening."That's not Naraku! His life force is missing! It's a puppet!" I could see Inuyasha cursing under his breath, "It still has a jewel shard!"

The puppet turned and glared at me, but kept on fighting Inuyasha. I was still standing just on the edge of the battlefield when the sun decided to show its face. Right above my head. Shit. I heard Kagome gasp, and I felt more than one pair of eyes on me.

I couldn't blame anybody, I knew what they were seeing. The sun had set my hair ablaze with light. Really bright light that does not help a person trying to keep a low profile. Kagome and the others had never seen my hair in direct sunlight before, I usually had it up or stuffed up inside my hat, which was shoved in the front pocket of my overalls, underneath Inuyasha's haori.

I heard a noise overhead and looked up to see a lady riding on a huge feather, circling the air uncomfortably close to me. She glared down at me for a second, before swooping down and grabbing me by the collar. She pulled up and started flying away. Fast.

I almost couldn't see the battlefield anymore before I realized I had just been kidnapped.

Completely not cool.

I sucked in another deep breath, and screamed as loud as Phoenixly possible - which is loud. Just so's you know -, "INUYASHA!"

"Shut up!" The feather lady growled, shaking me. Not cool. Also considering she was still dangling me by the collar of Inuyasha's haori, and not showing any signs of pulling me up.

Great. Just great. I had been kidnapped. This was gonna be fun.

Soon we reached a creepy looking castle, surrounded by a weird looking barrier. "That's the castle? Funny, it doesn't strike me as the type of place for an evil mastermind to live at all. It's just too cheery." Yeah, right.

At least I knew my sarcasm was appreciated, though. Considering I was shaken for about the trillionth time since what's-her-face snatched me. I knew she wouldn't see it, but I stuck my tongue out at her anyway. "How can you see the castle anyway? We're not past the barrier yet. Even I can't see it." What in the hell was she talking about? I could see the castle just fine.

"What are you on about? I can see the creepy thing just fine thanks." Did she doubt my seeing skills? "And the barrier thingy you were talking about, too. It's all dark greenish and yuckiful." I pointed a finger down my throat and mimicked gagging.

About two minutes later we landed in the courtyard. "Finally." I said as I breathed a sigh of relief. Being carried by your collar is not as comfortable as one would think - I always thought it would be uncomfortable, and boy was I right.

I turned around to get a better look at the chick, only to feel something hard connect with my face.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

**Chapter 3 is no more! It is currently 1:19 in the AM! And I am so completely NOT tired! Ohkay, so maybe that's not the complete truth... But the chapter is done so I have prevailed! Yay me! Now I may reward myself with sleep!**

**_- This chapter has been edited. I started this story in 2010 and I wasn't as good a writer or grammar Nazi I am now. I didn't want to change the way things happened, even though some of it could be better... Anywhore, edited, but the same. Enjoy! _**

**XoXo**

**Shadow**


	4. Rescue Me?

**Okay, so here's Chapter 3! I'm gonna try to make it longer, as I 've noticed the others are sorta short. So tell me how I did! Sorry for the wait, been very busy lately! Had lots to do, you know with the fam, with friends, trying not to melt, taking care of business. I'm lucky if I get enough time to write at night. But don't worry right now my mother is dead set on ruining my day, and banished me to the confines of my room. So now I have time to write until she so chooses to reinstate my life (the social one, not the real one).**

**Disclaimer: This is people...**

**Phoenix's POV**

I came to awhile later, lying on a pile of softish furs. I could hear hushed voices arguing across the room. "I told you to be careful with her Kagura! I haven't had Kanna watch her for two and a half weeks just for you to bring her here with a huge bruise on her face!" That must be Naraku. It made me shiver how normal sounding his voice was, him being so evil and all.

"Why do you care? You'll just end up hurting her, too. Believe me, this one is annoying. Why do you even like torturing the hanyou anyway? You ended him and that Kikyo, and then Kagome and Sesshomaru got together, so why do you need to steal her too? Is it ever enough for you?" That must be Kagura.

The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. "Are your loyalties finally switching, Kagura?" I winced at his tone of voice, it had gone all quiet and dangerous.

Then I winced again, because my face hurt. I reached up and gently touched my right cheek bone. Okay, ow. That hurt like hell. I can't believe Kagura knocked me out with her freaking fan. I probably did have a huge bruise.

I let my hand drop and tuned back in to their conversation. "-I just don't understand why you're so obsessed with kidnapping the hanyou's women! You always end up trying to kill them anyway! Why is this one different?" Oh, great. Now I'm being referred to like a piece of property.

"She's different because she's not human, not miko, she's something else. Powerful." Good. The creepo didn't know what I was, or what I should be. "She's different because Inuyasha is already on his way." I didn't like the way he said Inuyasha's name. Like he was one of the lowliest life forms there were.

"Don't shake your head Kagura. I know you can feel the power radiating off her, even now while she's asleep." Funny. I didn't feel very powerful. In fact, I felt like some weak human who got kidnapped for not listening.

I turned over so my back was to them and went back to sleep.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

I'm not quite sure when, but I woke up awhile later when the back of somebodies hand stroked the side of my face. My first instinct was to flinch away, but my second, stronger instinct, was to not move at all. I went with the latter, keeping my breathing deep, like I was still asleep.

The touch was light, almost gentle, as if the person were afraid to wake me up. It definitely was not Kagura touching me, so it must have been Naraku. "I know you're awake." Guess you couldn't trick a half-demon like you could your mother.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the ceiling. "Can you blame me for not wanting you to know?"

He chuckled darkly. "No, I can't say I do." Good, because if he said otherwise there was

something seriously wrong with him. Oops, there already is.

I finally turned my head and looked at him, and almost gasped. I could practically see the evil twisting around his body. He was just like the others described. Long black hair, dark red eyes, and pale skin. I noticed he was scrutinizing me too, looking like he liked what he found. Creepy.

I didn't say anything else, just looked him dead in the eye, searching like I did with every person I had just met. Most of my friends back home asked me not to do it to them anymore, it unnerved them. One time Tina told me it was like I was looking into her soul. I always thought it was because of my eyes, but now I knew it was something else.

I didn't like what I found at all. At first all I saw was this evil resolve, like he seriously thought everything he was doing was supposed to happen. I saw so much evil, and such a sick satisfaction with all that he had done, all the lives taken. He liked being evil. I just couldn't comprehend that at all.

I kept searching, and soon it felt like I was being sucked into it, into him. Like I was really looking into his soul. Soon it was like I was surrounded by it. Then I realized I _was_ surrounded by it. I was freaking inside him in a way. Ick.

It was so dark. Dark thoughts and desires swirling, and whispering around me. I looked around, trying to see any good, any at all, when I heard it.

Something was crying, if ever so softly, from somewhere behind me. I turned around and saw a faint light coming from somewhere not far off. As I walked towards it, the crying got louder.

Soon I was standing in front of a light white barrier, just big enough for the man crying inside. I couldn't see his face, he was crouched with his knees hugged to his chest, his forehead pressed to his knees.

He had longish dark brown hair, almost black, that was surrounding his body like a veil.

I tried touching the barrier, but my hand got zapped. "Why do you cry?" I asked him quietly, not entirely sure he would even be able to here me.

He looked up at me, startled. I almost gasped, he could have been Naraku's twin. Their faces were exactly alike, everything the same except for the eyes. This guys - while red rimmed from crying - were hazel. "Who are you?" He croaked out after a minute.

"That doesn't matter right now. Why are you crying?" He looked down and more tears leaked out of his eyes.

"You've met him. I know you have. Otherwise you wouldn't be here. I created that, I created him. He's all my fault and I can't fix it!" I knew who he was now.

"You're Onigumo." I didn't phrase it like a question, but he nodded his head anyway.

"That I am." He started crying again, still just so softly.

"But you can fix it." I don't know why I said it, it just sort of slipped out.

His head snapped up and there was a fierce sort of intensity in his eyes. "How?"

"You'er what's left of Onigumo's soul correct?" He nodded in agreement. "Then all of this-"I gestured at the darkness surrounding us. "Just needs to be purified." Or would that kill him too? "If we could find a way to remove you from him before purifying him, then it would work. You could pass peacefully to the next world, and Naraku would cease to exist. You would have to atone for all that you have done. But I'm sure that it's nothing compared to what Naraku has done."

He seemed to mull it over, before nodding his head and opening his mouth to reply. But I never heard what he said, I was shoved back into myself, do to a searing pain in my upper arms.

I was back in my body apparently because I could feel all ten of Naraku's claws piercing my upper arms. Which would explain the pain. He must have noticed I was me again too, because he slowly released my arms. I gasped and my eyes started to tear up, partly from pain but mostly from the huge wave of sadness that had just washed over me. This whole situation was sad.

"What were you doing?" He growled at me.

The tears started to spill over. "I see you." I whispered quietly. "The real you." Panic and fear flashed through his eyes, just for a second, and were gone, barely before I could register they were there.

"Go back to sleep." He growled out at me. "It's late." Like he would really care about something like that. But I just listened, and laid back down, rolling so my back was to him.

I heard him get up and walk back to the other side of the room, before sitting down. And then there was silence.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

The next time I woke up was do to moonlight streaming through the window into my eyes. I groaned and rolled over, about to doze back off when the events of the last day came rushing back to me, along with the pain in my arms.

I sat up and looked around. I was alone in the room and the door was slid open a little bit. It was just way too tempting. I looked down at myself, just checking that the hadn't taken Inyasha's haori. I don't know why he would have, but I just had to check.

I stood up and tiptoed to the door, and stuck my head out the door, looking to see if anyone was in the hall. It was all clear. I slipped out and walked down the hall to my right. It ended in another door. I slid the door open to see a garden. It was so pretty and full of life, and so out of place in a place like this. I stepped out into it, following the path until I came upon a koi pond. I almost gasped, it was so beautiful. The pond was surrounded by fireflies, weaving around in the air over the water together.

Another wave of sadness crashed over me. I don't know why, but I started crying again. I sat down and pulled my knees to my chest, letting the tears spill over as I watched the fireflies.

I don't know how long I had been sitting there before I heard the footsteps. At first I thought it was just Naraku or Kagura, coming to tell me to come back inside. Until I heard the thump of something settling into the grass next to me, and a cold nose poking my cheek.

I shrieked and looked around to see a huge wolf lying in the grass next to me. His - no idea how I know it was a him - coat was a glossy black, that shined blue in the moonlight, and his eyes were an almost lime green. He whimpered slightly and nuzzled my cheek again.

I let out a small laugh and scratched his nose, trailing my hand down so I was running my fingers through the fur on the side of his neck. His chest started rumbling and I noticed his ears twitched. Hmm... I wonder...

I turned so I was facing him all the way, and tentatively reached up with both hands to rubs his ears. The rumbling in his chest intensified and one of his back legs started thumping. I giggled and threw my arms around his neck, trying to stop the ever-flowing tears.

I finally let go of him when I stopped crying. After wiping my eyes I looked up at him, only to have my face licked thoroughly, before he nuzzled my cheek. I giggled a little, kissing his nose. "You're being so kind. Thank you." He grumbled at me and pulled away. I was sad for a second, before I noticed he was just laying down.

He was so much bigger than me, so I scooted over to give him some room, but he wouldn't have that. He gently grabbed the back of Inuyasha's haori in his mouth and pulled so I was snuggled into his side, much like how I had slept with Kirara. I tried to get into a comfortable position where I didn't have to lay on my arms. They were starting to throb, they hurt so bad. I finally found a position, laying on my back, and drifted off to sleep.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

The next morning I was woken up by somebody running their fingers through my hair, murmuring at me that I needed to wake up. I felt so awful. The pain in my arms had spread into my torso, my whole body felt like it was full of lead.

"Wake up, tiny human. Or you may not wake again." At first I didn't really register the voice. Until I remembered I had fallen asleep on a wolf. I slowly opened my eyes, it felt like they had been glued shut. My head was resting in a guys lap. His hair was the same color of black the wolf had been and his eyes were the same color too, so I had pretty much no doubt that he was the wolf.

"Who are you?" I croaked, grimacing my throat was so dry, I don't think I had had anything to drink for about a day. "My name is Seiran." He replied while gently pulling me into a sitting position. I almost screamed. Even with Seiran lifting me, myself not doing anything, moving hurt. Bad.

I knew it would hurt a lot, but I had to see the state my arms were in. I slowly pulled up a sleeve of Inuyasha's haori to my shoulder, and turned to look at my upper arm. I winced and let my hand drop. My whole upper arm was turning black, and where my skin wasn't black it was deathly pale. Not Phoenix pale - I don't usually look like I'm about to croak - like 'how-is-she-breathing' pale. I opened my mouth to ask Seiran something, but shut it immediately afterward. Moving my mouth had caused my bottom lip to split, a small trickle of blood was dripping down my chin. I hadn't even noticed how chapped my lips were.

I wiped the blood away and licked my lip. "How does he not know you are here?" I asked, trying not to cry. Everything hurt. That bastard had injected me with miasma.

Seiran's eyes twinkled in an emotion I couldn't quite place. "Naraku is not the only one who can mask his presence."

"So why are you here?" I had never noticed how much energy talking took. "Many years ago I was told by a friend to come here on this day, and rescue another friend." I opened my mouth to reply, but was overcome by the need to puke. I turned around onto my knees as quickly as I could, vomiting up what little was in my stomach.

Seiran didn't comment, he just held my hair back. For that I was thankful. When I was done I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "Ew." I can't believe I just did that. I haven't puked in forever. "Water." I croaked helplessly. Seiran chuckled and held me so I was positioned above the water, just close enough to lean down and lap up mouthfuls of water.

When my thirst was sated I lifted my head far enough to see my reflection. The bruise I had gotten from Kagura took up almost my whole right cheek, my lip was split as to be expected, I had huge dark circles under my eyes, and I was still really pale. I looked like one of those kids on hospital commercials, with really bad cancer.

"Thank you." I whispered to Seiran as he pulled me back into a sitting position. Well I would have been in one anyway, seeing as he placed me in his lap. I think if I really wanted, between Inuyasha, and now Seiran, I'd never have to walk in the Feudal Era again. Right about now that thought was oddly comforting.

"If you were told to come on this day, then why were you here last night?" Drinking the water had wet down my throat (obviously), which made it easier to talk.

An amused chuckle rumbled through Seiran's chest. "I'm a bit of a loner. It's not often I strike a friendship with anybody. I was eager to see whom I would like enough to save." I gave a small smile, even though he couldn't see it.

"So?" I asked expectantly.

"Seems my friend was right again. Seeing as we're going to be leaving here soon." I actually gasped that time. "Really?" He chuckled again. "Really. I'll mask both of our auras, so it'll be like we just vanished." Wait. A thought just struck me.

"Won't they be able to see and hear us?" Seiran shook his head. "Not at all. But that's a secret."

"And you're going to take me back to Inuyasha?" Seiran turned me around and set me down on the ground. His expression was puzzled.

"Who is this Inuyasha?" Oh yeah, he didn't know who Inuyasha was.

"He's an inu hanyou. He's my best friend." He nodded his head and stood up, walking a few feet away.

"I thought I smelt dog on my way here." Then he turned into the same wolf as last night. I would have admired the act, but my head was starting to pulse painfully, along with my arms, and everything was started to get really fuzzy. Like, really fuzzy. This was like a major migraine, and it hurt. I whimpered in pain, reaching out for Seiran.

He was standing right in front of me, so I could easily wrap my arms around his neck. He stood up and swung me around so I was clinging to his back. Everything started to fade to black, and all I remembered in that moment, was to keep my wrists locked in front of Seiran's throat.

He took off running through the trees in the garden where he had emerged the night before. After awhile the castle was completely out of sight. I was surprised at how easy it was, but then again after all that I had heard about Naraku being able to do this, and how at times nobody had known of his presence until it was to late, so I didn't doubt it was possible. I just laid my head against Seiran's back and tried to stay awake.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

**End. Sorry it took so long to update! I had no idea I would have such a busy summer! I slaved over this chapter in all the spare time I could muster, so I hope you like it! I'll tell you a little secret about this chapter, since it took me so long to update. Seiran was never supposed to exist. I had this whole huge battle scene between Inuyasha and Naraku that ended badly. But then I was reading one of the Harry Potter books and I was inspired by Sirius Black. So if you've seen the third Harry Potter movie, imagine Seiran to look like Sirius in his dog form, except with green eyes and a little taller. Okay?**

**_- This chapter has been edited. I started this story in 2010 and I wasn't as good a writer or grammar Nazi I am now. I didn't want to change the way things happened, even though some of it could be better... Anywhore, edited, but the same. Enjoy!_**

**XoXo**

**Shadow**


	5. Seriously? Not again

**Chapter five has arrived. Sorry it took so long I started school awhile back and I've been so busy with homework and practice and of course the actual attending of school, that I have had absolutely no time for fanfiction! But today I'm home sick so I'll use my time to make you all a chapter! I do apologize though if this one is shorter (even though I strive for longer chapters). And I now have spell check! So no more hideous spelling mistakes (I'll try). Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: The story of Inuyasha does not belong to me, I just play in it.**

**Phoenix's POV**

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that my eyes wouldn't open. No matter how hard I tried, and how loud I yelled at them from inside my mind, they wouldn't budge. It was like they had been glued shut.

The second thing I noticed was the pain. It was anywhere and everywhere. My head felt like it was about to explode. I swear there was an elf in there, with a baseball bat, beating up my brain. He had anger issues, too. Even thinking hurt. I tried to remember what happened to me, what could have put me in this much pain, when I heard the voices.

"Is she going to be alright?" That was Kagome. I wonder who she was talking to? Probably Sango...

"I really hope so. Inuyasha's beating himself up over this. They became so close..." Ah, there was Sango. I wonder where I was. I distantly felt something soft and comfortable underneath me. I must be laying on a mattress.

"Kagome, child, take this and try to bring down her fever some." They must have taken me back to Kaede's. I heard the sound of someone getting up, then sitting down again by my head, and the sound of wood hitting wood. Maybe a bowl or container being set down...?

If I could have I would have jumped, because the next second something soft and wet was being wiped softly across my forehead, my hair being moved to the side for better access. That must have been what Kaede wanted Kagome to do for her. In that moment, I loved Kaede for giving Kagome that cold washcloth. It felt wonderful against my heated skin.

"Hey, Sango?" Kagome asked after a minute of silence.

"Hmm?" Sango hummed in askance. I could hear the sound of something being wiped down. She was probably waxing her Hiraikotsu.

"What do you think of that Seiran guy? I mean, I'm happy he saved Phoenix and everything, and he doesn't give off bad vibes, but it doesn't seem like he'll be leaving anytime soon. Him and Inuyasha are already butting heads over anything to do with Phoenix." If I could smile, I would have. I hope Inuyasha wasn't giving Seiran too hard a time. I mean, he did save me after all.

"He seems alright to me. I mean he carried her all the way back to us on his back. We were over a day away." Wow, that feather went faster than I thought.

Kagome pulled the cloth from my forehead and replaced it with the back of her hand. "Her fever's gone down a bit. When do you think she'll wake up Kaede?" I heard shuffling and then felt a different hand replaced Kagome's on my head.

This one was old and wrinkled, it must have been Kaede's. "Her fever has gone down just a bit. But 'tis difficult to determine when she will awake. Even if it has gone down, her fever is still quite high."

I heard more shuffling, then the sound of somebody standing up. "I'm going to go and update Inuyasha and Seiran about her fever. Be prepared for when I get back." Then Kagome was gone.

Not five minutes later I could hear shouting coming from outside. I could only catch snippets of what they were saying though, so they must not have as close as I first thought.

"-ve known her longer! I get to go in first! You ha-" That was definitely Inuyasha. Over the time we had been friends we had screamed at each other enough, talked about nothing and everything, and whispered to each other while everyone else was asleep for me to know his voice anywhere. I hadn't realized how much I had missed Inuyasha in the time I had been gone.

"-rescued her! I have every right to be in there first! You-" There was Seiran.

Those idiots were fighting over who got to come see me first! I wasn't even technically awake! Gosh... There was a whole freaking hut to sit in. This was more annoying than it should have been.

"HEY!" Thank you, Kagome, for shutting them up. "There is plenty of room in there for you both to sit and watch her be unconscious." Well that doesn't sound creepy at all...

I could hear Inuyasha and Seiran grumbling under their breath about it, but otherwise they were silent when they walked in Kaede's hut.

There was more shuffling and the sound of more than one person leaving, probably Kagome and Sango, possibly Kaede too. "She looks so small." Yasha murmured under his breath. I felt a large hand take my smaller one in it's grasp, fingers pressing into my wrist. Most probably searching for my pulse.

Yasha kept searching for my pulse, but I don't think he could find it, because he mumbled something under his breath and then his hand was gone. I heard Yasha gulp, then there was silence for a moment, before I felt someone laying their head on my chest. It was definitely Yasha, I could feel his other ear tickling my chin.

"Her heartbeat is so faint. It's like she's barely alive." He murmured after a moment of listening to my heart.

"It is. And I know why." Seiran muttered in reply. Yasha's head snapped up, and I just knew he was glaring at Seiran.

"Why?" Yasha growled out after a minute of silence. I could imagine the look on his face, lips pulled back in a snarl, and eyes narrowed in a murderous glare. That's my Yashafor ya.

"Because she's dying." What? I was NOT! I could hear every word they were saying. Dead people can't do that! But wait, maybe they could. I mean, practically anything was possible here.

But I didn't want to die. I mean, wouldn't I come back? I was that immortal thingy Sesshy was talking about. That means I can't die, right? Or does it mean I'll die, but be able to come back? Questions, questions...

"She has to die to be born again." Well that really helps me. What the hell does he mean?

"What do you mean?" Yasha asked. Good, I wasn't the only confused one.

"She has to die. Otherwise she won't be awakened from her slumber." What in the hell does he mean? I'm alive for crying out loud!

"Is that something to do with immortals or whatever?" Nice use of the spoken word Yasha, very nice.

No matter how good a friend Seiran had turned out to be, in that moment, I absolutely had to prove him wrong. I didn't care how hard it was, I was gonna wake up. Not just for me, but for everybody else too. I knew it would kill them to see me die, even if I came back afterwards. Specially Shippo and Yasha, they would be most effected.

So, I shut out what they were saying, and concentrated on my body. I was concentrating hard too, so I almost jumped (or would have if I could have) when Inuyasha yet again took my hand in his. I smiled softly (I don't care if my body was immobile at the moment, I was smiling) and started concentrating again.

It took awhile, and a helluva lot more concentration and determination than I thought it would, but slowly (and painfully, I might add), I squeezed Yasha's hand back. And nearly gave him a heart attack too.

He yelped loudly and jumped probably a few feet in the air (Never letting go of my hand either. Not cool Yasha, not cool.). "Oi! Kagome! Get in here! She moved!" Yasha yelled. Loudishly too.

Kagome must have not wandered far from the hut, though I don't doubt she wouldn't have heard it anyway. "She moved? How?" Seiran asked Yasha after he was done yelling.

"My hand, she squeezed it. Not very hard, but she squeezed it."

Seiran snorted. "Are you sure she actually moved, or did you just imagine it?" Inuyasha growled.

"I'm not stupid. I know when a person moves, and I know what I felt. She moved." That's absolutely correct Yasha, don't let them tell you otherwise.

I heard footsteps entering the hut. "What do you want Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice grumbled from somewhere near the doorway.

"She moved." Kagome gasped and I heard her leave before reentering the hut with other sets of footprints. I would bet my life that it was Sango, Sesshy, and Shippo with her.

"Did she really move Inuyasha?" I heard Shippo pipe up, from somewhere near by, before I felt a familiar, light weight resting on my stomach.

"Oi runt, get offa her." Yasha grumbled before Shippo's weight disappeared. I unintentionally made a small sound of discontent. Instantly everyone stilled. It must have been loud enough for everyone to hear. I heard more footsteps, then the small thud of somebody kneeling by my head. Cool fingers brushed my hair out of my face.

"Phoenix? Can you hear me?" Sango asked hesitantly.

"Mhmm." At least my throat didn't hurt so bad. It was just bone dry. Following that small noise were several sighs of relief.

For the next few minutes I stretched my fingers and toes, and arms and legs, learning that the more I moved the easier it was. Not that it didn't hurt like a bitch. Finally, I pried my eyes open. Only to gasp and shut them right after. It was so bright!

"Somebody sit me up please." I whispered quietly. Almost immediately a set of arms were underneath my shoulders, handing me over to the person on my left. This person smelled like trees and fresh air - yes fresh air has a scent - so it had to be Inuyasha. Also because there was a total lack of boobs, so it wasn't Sango, and Seiran smelled like honey, I distantly remembered. I seemed to be noticing things like that lately. Scents and stuff.

This time when I opened my eyes instead of immediately shutting them as I was wont to do, I turned my face into Inuyasha's still bare chest. "You really need your shirt back Yash." I mumbled against his skin. "What time is it Kagome?"

"What was that?" Crap, I forgot not everybody had real good hearing. I nudged Inuyasha with my forehead to translate.

"She asked what time it was." He told her.

"Oh. It's around midnight." What the fuck? It should be dark then! Geez, something was wrong with me. It took me longer than expected to be able to move.

"Then why is it so fucking bright?" I grumbled loud enough for her to hear. Wow, Inuyasha's swearing habits are wearing off on me. Whoops.

"What do you mean 'why is it so bright?', it's dark outside." Kagome answered me after a minute, confused. "There's a fire going..." Sango added, trying to help.

"How could fire possibly seem so bright? " I slowly turned my face away from Inuyasha, to look at all the others. Finally noticing the fire, it was still bright, but less painful this time. And I could see everything as clearly as if it were daytime. How weird. While I was busy looking around, everybody else was staring at me, openly.

Inuyasha turned my face towards his, studying me carefully, before pulling me closer to him and... sniffing me? "What are you doing?" I asked Yasha, but he ignored me in favor of picking up my hand and fiddling with my fingers.

"I didn't even notice." He murmured disbelievingly under his breath.

"Notice what?" I asked, irritated. "This." He replied, holding up my hand for my own inspection. I noticed nothing wrong at first, until I saw my finger nails - if you could till call them that. They had elongated and sharpened into claws much like his own.

"What the...?" I murmured, fascinated. Then Kagome handed me a small hand-held mirror, gesturing for me to look into it. I did, and gasped in shock.

My skin was paler than usual, whether from my fever or not. And there was a black star in the middle of my forehead with matching markings across my cheekbones. Kinda like Sesshomaru's. There were some on my wrists too. "How did...?" I trailed off, astonished.

"It must have happened when she opened her eyes." Miroku piped up, stepping forward. "When she hid her face in Inuyasha's chest." I blushed slightly at that part. Then I started mentally cursing myself, leaning my head back against his chest. It was just Inuyasha.

For some reason that thought bothered me. He wasn't just Inuyasha. He was more than that, he was my best friend.

I sank further into his side. The contact was oddly comforting. "Yasha?"

"Yeah?" His chest rumbled when he talked. The sensation made me sleepy. "Will you take me outside? I need some fresh air." Maybe it would clear my head and wake me up.

I was so tired. "Yeah." He scooped me up into his arms, and stood up. Everybody parted to let us through, following us out the doorway.

"Can we go to the hot springs? I need a bath..." I directed the question at Kagome and Sango, ignoring the way Inuyasha's arms tightened around me, and his mouth opened to protest.

I turned towards him. "Yash, I'm all icky. I need a bath." He shut his mouth but I knew he was still worried. It was sweet. The second I was out in the dark it was better on my head. The moon was almost all the way full, and the stars were out tonight.

He set me gently on my feet, helping steady me when I almost toppled over, then handing me over to Sango, who helped me walk from there on. It took longer than usual to get there, but it was worth it the second I sank into the water.

"Ah." I sighed, dunking my head under the water. This felt like heaven. The water was so clear tonight, I could see the moon and stars perfectly from the opening in the trees above the water. I swam slowly through the spring until I was in the water that went way above my head. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I waited til my hair relatively calmed from swirling in the water around me. Then I noticed some thing odd, I still wasn't feeling any remote need to resurface. I could feel the lack of air, but it didn't bug me, and it felt really weird.

Everything is always so beautiful from under water. It was like a whole other world down here. All the shapes were distorted around the edges, and all the colors looked different from the bottom of the spring. I had never been this deep before, I didn't even know it went this deep.

I don't know how long I spent twirling through the water, looking at all the rocks and stones on the bottom, but after awhile I heard raised voices from above. I twisted around and focused on the noise, realizing I could hear from down here. I could see too, the water was that clear. Well, I could sorta see, I could only see Kagome and Sango's legs because they were hanging over the overhang, and I could vaguely see the outline of two people standing on the shore of the spring.

"Where is she? She's been down there for forever!" Shit! It was Inuyasha. That explained the raised voices. Kagome and Sango were probably freaking out on him.

I heard someone sigh, a small, quiet sound. "She is in the deep end, little brother. You would have known that had you payed any attention at all." Sesshomaru declared quietly, pointing out my place in the water. Instantly four faces were peering down at me, or in some cases my outline. I was glad I had had enough mind to keep my tank top and underwear on.

I smartly avoided looking at Inuyasha's face. He was probably really mad at me. But since I avoided looking at him I didn't notice when he walked around the spring to stand on my side until his face was blocking my view of the others. Oh yeah, he was mad at me. I wonder how long I had been down here...

Yasha glared down at me. "Come here." He growled. I swam up so that I was just barely inside his reach and smiled innocently, raising my hand to waggle my fingers at him. He growled and his hand shot into the water, aiming for my wrist.

Something weird happened then, usually I could barely see Yasha's movements when he did things real fast. But this time my eyes locked on his hand and it was like everything slowed down until it seemed like his hand was moving real slow, and I twisted to the side just in time for his hand to pass inches from me. Then, another weird thing happened, it was like Yash expected me to do that, because the next thing I knew his other hand was clamped on the back of my neck and I wasn't in the water anymore.

Yasha was smirking at me smugly, holding me half in and half out of the water by the back of my neck. I sputtered at the sudden cold, coughing on some water that had somehow gotten in my mouth. "Yasha, you jerk!" I shrieked, no longer feeling the fatigue from earlier. "It's fuckin' cold out here! Do you want me to die?"

He chuckled. "'Course not." He pulled me all the way out of the water. I scowled at him, before noticing movement out of the corner of my eyes. Sango, Kagome, and Sesshomaru were silently retreating into the forest, back towards the village.. I shrugged and dived back into the water, aiming as deep as I could go.

Yasha growled in irritation, before quickly joining me in the water. I swam deeper into the spring, well maybe it wasn't a spring after all. It was too deep, too wide. Maybe Kagome and Sango had taken me somewhere else instead. Like a pool they had found or something.

I wasn't paying attention so I shrieked - unintentionally letting out a huge air bubble in the process - when a hand clasped around my ankle and pulled me back into a chest. I twisted and glared playfully at Inuyasha, shoving him away from me and swimming away, not before sticking my tongue out at him first of course.

He mock-glared back at me, before following in pursuit. He kept chasing me around for awhile, neither of us needing air the entire time. It probably lasted about fifteen minutes before I was cornered at the bottom, up against the wall. Yasha hovered over me triumphantly, smirking. He swam forward slowly, gloating. I glared and rolled my eyes, like I was bored already. I knew that would make him hurry up.

And it did. His eyes narrowed and he swam faster. He reached out and snagged me around the waist, kicking off the bottom, and swimming upward. I tucked my head against his shoulder and smirked. He won this time, but I would win one of our little games eventually.

Our heads finally broke the surface and I gratefully gulped in the air. I hadn't needed it, it just felt odd not breathing for so long. I was used to it, needing to breathe.

I flipped over onto my back and just floated around the edge of the pool. I started laughing then, I'm not really sure why. I was just happy. Inuyasha sent me a look, flicking me with water.

Soon we were in an all-out splash fight. I shrieked happily, jumping out of the water, and running into the trees, not even minding the cold. I could hear Inuyasha chuckling as he ran after me.

I scowled and ran faster, stupid hanyou. Always able to catch up. After a minute of running without being caught, I glanced back to see Yasha still following me, a shocked look on his face. He was running fast, not nearly as fast as I knew he could go, but still pretty fast. And I was still in front of him.

I took a second to look around at the scenery passing by and noticed that the trees were all but blurs, like when Inuyasha had to run real fast and was carrying me.

I skidded to a stop, whipping my head back and forth trying to see where we were, well until Yasha ran into me, sending us both sprawling to the ground. Yasha immediately locked his arms around me so I wasn't jostled during our fall. "Geez, Yash. You really are trying to kill me. And I thought you were my best friend." I scoffed.

"Eh, you'll live." He smirked down at me. Suddenly I became very aware of the fact that Yasha still wasn't wearing a shirt, what with him hovering about three inches above me.

God, what was wrong with me lately? I had never noticed crap like that on Inuyasha before... But, well, it wasn't completely my fault. I can say, just totally factual and everything, that Yasha was one studly person. I mean, you're crazy if you don't think so.

Gold eyes, long silver hair, and dog ears. Dog ears. Adorable dog ears that twitch when Yash gets irritated. Or amused. "Why'd you stop like that?"

I sighed, and gently shoved against Yasha's stomach, pushing him off me. He rolled onto his side, letting himself be moved, so now he was lying beside me on the ground. "Yash, were you running fast?" I heard him exhale, before he picked my the hand that was fidgeting with the hem of my tank top and started fiddling with my fingers. "Kinda."

"How fast was I running?" He exhaled again, quieter this time.

"Fast." I groaned.

"This is all so confusing. What's happening to me? I'm all not normal anymore. I wake up from being knocked out for who-knows-how-long and BAM! I'm all different, not me anymore. I can smell all the things around us and I think I can still hear the water swishing around in the pool back there!"

I groaned again and pulled my hand out of Inuyasha's and sat up, sitting up and pulling grass out of the ground in frustration. "Five days."

I looked back at Inuyasha. "Hmm?"

"Five days. You were asleep for five days." He had been counting?

"Yash, I wasn't exactly sleeping. I was catatonic." A breeze blew by, making my hair flutter a little, it still wasn't dry yet... I wonder how long we had been out here.

Yasha's voice brought me back to reality, "I'd rather think of it as you sleeping." He mumbled, snagging my hand from its death grip on an unfortunate weed and tugging me back to the ground, before continuing to play with my fingers.

"Kagome was really worried, you know, Sango too. They were starting to think you weren't ever gonna wake up. But Shippo wasn't worried at all though, he kept going on and on about how you would never let something like a little poison stop you. I was actually proud of the kid, he didn't cry once." The corner of my lips quirked up, desperately wanting to smile, but I was obstinate in remaining frustrated. "And that Seiran guy, he's so annoying. Where'd you find him at anyway?"

They didn't know? "He didn't tell you?" Inuyasha started fidgeting, like he did when he was guilty.

"Well he did, but I didn't stay close enough to listen." Of course he didn't...

"Well, he rescued me. Just came waltzing into the garden where I was like it was nothing. He said he was shielding his presence or whatever, so Naraku couldn't see him. He said that many years ago a friend of his had told him to be there to save another friend. Then he transformed into a wolf and carried me back to you guys on his back.

Now you tell me what happened when we found you guys."

Yasha sighed, "At first we thought he was trying to attack us, he came running so fast. And he was huge, so we couldn't exactly see you way up on his neck. I was just about to get him with Wind Scar when he started barking and growling at us, like it was some language. I think it was, I could understand parts of it. Sesshomaru understood all of it though, and he started scenting the air, so I did too. That was when I caught your scent, it was real faint, and covered in death. Then he just sort of disappeared, and you were falling through the air and he caught you in his human form and the rest went from there."

I vaguely remembered the sensation of falling, and being caught, but then being transferred to somebody else. "I thought you carried me back here."

"I did. But how did you know that?" He asked.

"I don't know. I just sorta remembered it is all." Yeah, I'm awesome like that.

"Oh, okay." All of a sudden Inuyasha let go of my hand and was crouching beside me, growling irritatedly. "What is it Yash?" He ignored me, lifting his head to smell the air.

"It's that damn wolf shit." Huh?

"Who?" Had Yash finally gone off the deep end?

"Kouga. Wolf demon. Pain in my ass." He ground out between his teeth.

"Well, why don't you like him?" Inuyasha looked down at me like I was crazy.

"He's annoying and doesn't know how to keep his grimy paws to himself." I snorted, trying not to laugh outright. I had the image of someone trying to hold Yasha's hand stuck in my head now. I pity that person, even though that probably wasn't what Yasha meant.

Yasha stood up, pulling me with him, and stepping in front of me.

Then he just stood there, like he was waiting for the dude to show up. "Well, if you don't like him, why don't we just run away?" Inuyasha threw me a look that practically screamed he wasn't going anywhere. I sighed, of course not. Well then if we were gonna stay here and wait, I wasn't standing behind Inuyasha. Ha! There's my act of rebellion! Even though there was no way in hell Yasha was ever going to be the boss of me...

Inuyasha lifted his nose in the air, most likely taking in all the scents around him. I cocked my head to the side, observing, then I tried it myself. I smelt trees, Inuyasha, something earthy (most likely dirt), something sharp and clear, then something else, sorta canine but also like caves. Sorta like Yasha, he smelt like trees and fresh air, but also with a distinct canine twist.

"What is that?" It made my nose twitch. I turned to look at Yasha expectantly.

"What is what?"

"It smells like caves and sorta canine. It's really earthy. Actually doesn't smell that bad." I clarified, inhaling deeper.

Inuyasha scowled. "That's the wolf." Ohhh...

I heard rapid footsteps approaching and then a guy was standing in front of Inuyasha, who shoved me behind him again. "Well if it isn't Inutrasha." The dude greeted. I scowled at him over Inuyasha's shoulder.

He was tall, the same height as Yasha. He had black hair pulled up into a ponytail and light blue eyes. And I could see a tail swinging languidly behind his back. So this was Kouga."Shut it bastard. What are you doing here anyway? Kagome isn't your woman, Sesshomaru saw to that."

Kouga scowled at that. I vaguely knew what they were talking about. Sango and Kagome had told me about a wolf demon who proclaimed Kagome his woman but they hadn't gone into very much detail, so I wasn't surprised I hadn't remembered.

Kouga's gaze flickered to me, and his eyes lit up with curiosity. "And who," He said, pushing Inuyasha from in front of me. "Is this?" Inuyasha let out a loud growl and pulled me back against his chest.

"This is Phoenix. And don't even think about it wolf. You got that same look in your eye before you kidnapped Kagome." What the crap? I never heard about Kagome being kidnapped.

"Phoenix huh? What a pretty name, perfect for a pretty little thing like you." He stated, ignoring Inuyasha when he growled again.

"Will you both quit talking about me like I'm a piece of property? God, that is really annoying you know." I whirled around and twisted away from Inuyasha, only to be pulled against Kouga's chest. Oh geez...

Inuyasha growled loudly again and his hand flew to Tetsusaiga's hilt, and he unsheathed it. "Let her go wolf, or I swear I will cut your fucking head off." I gulped, Yasha looked murderous.

"Yash, calm down. Kouga here was just about to let me go. Weren't you?" I

asked, looking up at him pointedly.

He smirked down at me. "Not a chance. Inuyasha always gets the girls he clearly doesn't deserve. Stupid mutt..."

Inuyasha snarled scarily. "Let. Her. Go. This is the last time I'm telling you. There is no way in hell your kidnapping my best friend." Kouga just snorted and his arm around my waist tightened.

Then he was backing up, towards the forest where he had first emerged. "Don't even think about it." I hissed up at him.

He smirked down at me again. "Too late, princess." And then he was off running through the forest faster than almost anyone could keep up. I sighed, I knew it was gonna be awhile until Inuyasha caught up to us.

**End. I really am sorry to you few readers that it took so long for me to publish this chapter. It was almost finished two weeks ago but then my mom's boyfriend died in a car crash and I've spent the last couple of weeks taking care of her. But she's getting better now so I have time to write and publish! Hope you like it!**

**_- This chapter has been edited. I started this story in 2010 and I wasn't as good a writer or grammar Nazi I am now. I didn't want to change the way things happened, even though some of it could be better... Anywhore, edited, but the same. Enjoy!_**

**XoXo**

**Shadow**


	6. I Fall Inside A Little Black Ball

**Here's chapter six. I really hope it didn't take as much time as Chapter five did. THAT took forever. Right now I'm listening to music and music always motivates me to write so I hope you like it! And it might be sorta short compared to all the others. But hey, would you rather a short chapter, or no chapter at all?**

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha's not mine. Wish he was but he ain't.**

**Chapter 6**

I was wrong about it taking Inuyasha awhile to catch up to us. It only took about ten minutes.

I knew he had caught up when Kouga stopped running and turned around, muttering something about stupid annoying mutts. I smirked and elbowed him as hard as I could in the gut.

Either I caught him by surprise, or it actually hurt, because he released me and doubled over. "That was close." I heard him mutter after a minute. Ohh... With how short I was I had almost elbowed him in the groin instead of the stomach. Maybe I should have aimed

lower...

He recovered and pulled me behind him right as Inuyasha burst through the trees where we were. He already had Tetsusaiga out, and was growling threateningly at Kouga.

"Yasha!" I yelled, trying to get around Kouga to him, but he kept pushing me back behind himself. This was starting to get really freaking frustrating.

Yasha and Kouga both charged at each other at the same time, yelling insults and trying to land a hit on the other. I sighed and sat down, this was going to take awhile.

I leaned back against a nearby tree and started braiding long pieces of grass together, not paying attention to the fight. It sounded like Inuyasha had the upper hand anyway.

I had about a foot and a half long grass chain when I heard Yasha's shocked exclamation of pain. My attention immediately snapped back to the battle. Kouga had somehow managed to land a blow on Inuyasha's face, right across his eyes.

Something odd happened then, a small black ball went flying out of Inuyasha's face, landing not very far from me. I frowned, things don't usually fly out of Inuyasha's body when he's in battle, and he seemed especially put out with Kouga for that. Apparently only one eye had been hit because Yasha could still see good enough to punch Kouga in the face.

I stood up and walked cautiously towards the small ball, crouching down, I picked it up gingerly in between my thumb and forefinger. It was smooth, and cold, like a little black pearl.

Completely forgetting for a second that Inuyasha was in the middle of some epic battle, I yelled to him, "Hey Yasha! What is this thing?" Inuyasha turned back to me with a huff, him and Kouga's fight forgotten for a moment. Kouga looked affronted, but stopped to see what I was referring to also.

Inuyasha's eyes widened when he saw what I was holding. "Phoenix don't touch that! It'll-"

I never heard Yasha finish saying what it would do, but I'm pretty sure I figured it out the next second when it felt like I was being sucked inside the little fucker. I vaguely remember falling through air, before I passed out. This really was to much happening in a short amount of time. It really, really was.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

I woke up in the middle of what looked like a huge ribcage. And I mean _huge._

"Where am I?" I muttered to myself. Oh great. Now I'm talking to myself. A sure sign of impending insanity.

I sat up, looking around. _What an odd place... I seriously think I am sitting here surrounded by bones..._ The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

What more could happen to me than already has? I mean, I fall in some old well transporting me to the past where I meet my best friend, who's an inu hanyou, then I get kidnapped by some evil hanyou, who is really fucking insane, I fall into his soul and talk to who he was originally born as, then he injects me with some miasma poison crap, almost killing me, I get rescued by an older wolf demon who says he came to rescue me because somebody in the past told him to, I spend five days unconscious, when I wake up I'm all freaky and foreign, I held my breath under water for so much longer than humanly possible, because – oh yeah, I'm not human anymore! And then I almost get kidnapped by some horny wolf who wants to mate me or some shit, just because Inuyasha 'gets all the good girls', then I pick a seemingly harmless little black ball that flew out of Inuyasha's face and get transported into some freakishly large carcass. And I swear on Inuyasha's life I just heard something breathing in here with me! I really need an aspirin...

I stood up slowly, cautiously looking around me for the source of the breathing I had heard.

"Holy shit!" There was a dude lying a couple of feet away from me, sleeping peacefully.

He looked tall, like taller than Sesshomaru tall. And Sesshomaru is one tall bastard.

Crap, Inuyasha is wearing off on me. I never used to swear so much...

Shaking my head I looked back at the dude He had long, pretty silver hair, pulled up in a ponytail, and he was wearing odd-looking armor sorta like Sesshomaru's. He had markings like Sesshy's too. He looked familiar...

Memories started flashing through my mind, as they had been so fond of doing the past few weeks. This time they were of me (of course) and Sesshomaru, and this man. He carried us both around on his broad shoulders, jumping around on the roof of a castle, making us shriek in laughter, or he would chase us around a garden, purposely not catching us, letting us think we had a chance, then he would carry us inside while we were half asleep, wrapping us up in the fur hanging over his shoulder.

Holy shit again! This was Yasha and Sesshy's dad!

"Oh my gosh. Inutaisho!" I whispered to myself, walking forward and crouching beside him. He stirred at his name, but didn't wake.

A thought popped into my head then. Oh god, please tell me I did not just do this... I did not just resurrect a dead guy. I don't even know how, so it couldn't have possibly been me. I did not. I did not. I did not. I did not. I did not. I did not. I did not. I did not. I did not. I did not. I did not. I did not. I did not. I did not. I did fucking not! Okay I might have... But I didn't know I was doing it, so it's not my fault!

Wait, why am I acting like I did something terribly wrong? I'm sure a lot of people will be ecstatic that Inutaisho is alive again. I should be proud of myself. Even though I have no idea how I did it... When I had been told about Inutaisho and how he died, I had thought about maybe trying to bring him back after I learned how. I think I had said a prayer that it would work when I tried too, so Inuyasha could have his dad back. And Sesshy too. Maybe I didn't do this after all, maybe somebody up there had just been listening.

I silently thanked the mysterious listening god, and placed my small hand on Inutaisho's shoulder, gently shaking him.

"Come on Inutaisho, wake up!" I exclaimed loudly, after a minute of no progress. This dude was a heavy sleeper. After a minute more of shaking him and yelling at him, he began to stir.

"See? Your waking up a little. Now finish the job and tell me how to get out of here!" I yelled at him. He grumbled something unintelligible and batted my hands away.

I really didn't want to do this... I sighed and sucked in a big breath before letting it out in the loudest, shrillest scream I could manage at the moment. It turned out to be much louder than before, probably do to my new demonic vocal chords. Well these will come in handy...

Inutaisho jumped, immediately crouching and searching around for the threat. All he found was me, sitting beside him cross legged, peering up at him innocently. "Hello, Taisho." I sing-songed, waggling my fingers at him.

He sat down again, looking quite shocked to see me. "Phoenix?" He asked hesitantly. I nodded. "Child, the last time I saw you, you were dead." Dead? When did I die?

"Well then, I guess everyone's coming back from the grave lately. Mind getting us out of here?" I was really starting to hate it when people thought I was dead. He looked up and

around at our surroundings, a scowl forming on his face.

Looking back at me, he asked. "Please, tell me we're not where I think we are." I cocked my head to the side, giving him a confused look. Then it dawned on me. Another memory of Inutaisho flashed through my mind. In this one he was in dog form, the only time I had seen him in it, and he was huge. Probably as big as the carcass we were sitting in.

"Hate to break it to ya Taisho, but I'm positive we're sitting in your centuries old cadaver." I informed him with a cheeky grin. "Now as disturbing as this must be for you, it's probably even more so disturbing for me. Seeing as I am talking to a very alive you while sitting inside your rotting body. You do know how to get out of here right?" He nodded, used to my behavior. Apparently I was a sarcastic little brat sometimes. "Then please do so, so we can get back to the land of the living and your sons. I'm sure Inuyasha would love to finally meet you."

"Inuyasha? You know Inuyasha?" I nodded my affirmative. "Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are together?" He seemed surprised. Rightly so, though, with Sesshy's attitude toward Yasha, and Yasha's towards him. Even though Taisho would have no idea of Inuyasha's attitude, seeing as he's been dead Yash's whole life...

He stood up, and held his hand out to me. I didn't even think about it, just placed my tiny hand in his much larger one. He pulled me up into his chest and jumped. I screwed my eyes shut, I was still feeling faint and this was much faster than I was used to with Inuyasha. I didn't want to see what happened.

I felt a strange pulling sensation envelope me, and then I could smell and hear the forest again. I exhaled slowly, I needed a nap. Like, now.

"Where is my son?" His chest vibrates when he talks... It made me giggle. Taisho looked down at me questioningly.

"Your chest vibrates when you talk."

He snorted, sounding exactly like Inuyasha. "You always were easily distracted as a child."

I stuck my tongue out at him, before lifting my nose and trying to find Inuyasha's scent. Inutaisho couldn't possibly know Inuyasha's scent. Back then he was a child and it was probably overridden with his mothers fear, an blood. "I can't smell Inuyasha. We must not be near. Just find Sesshomaru's scent or something." I collapsed back against his chest.

This was familiar, deep inside I remembered being held by these arms and another pair just as big, and strong, and comforting.

I just laid there, letting Taisho find everyone. "Oh yeah, Taisho?"

"Hn."

"If you sense a like freakishly powerful miko, don't worry about it. That's just Kagome, and she wouldn't hurt you." I informed him, just in case he sensed Kagome and went in the opposite direction. That would be counterproductive.

"Why on earth would three demons travel with a miko?" Taisho asked.

"Well, our entire group consists of me, Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Sesshomaru's mate-to-be Kagome, Sango – she's a demon slayer, Miroku – he's a perverted monk, Shippo – he's a fox kit, Rin – Sesshomaru's human ward, Jaken – some evil little ugly toad thing who's in love with your son, Ah Un – some dragony thingy, Kirara – she's a two-tail fire cat, and Seiran – he's the wolf demon who saved me from Naraku. And I'm pretty sure I didn't forget anybody, so that's a lot of people. I never noticed... Well Kouga might be there too, if he hasn't left or been run off by Inuyasha yet. Stupid horny wolf..." I muttered the last part to myself.

"Sesshomaru has a human ward?" I wasn't surprised that Taisho sounded shocked.

"Yes. Her name is Rin, like I said. She's an orphan. Sesshomaru found her and took her in or something like that. I don't really know the story behind that little bit of information. I've never asked." Now I was curious though...

After that I shut my eyes and let Taisho do all the work. I was sort of useless right now.

Thinking back, it occurred to me that I was having an alarmingly relaxed reaction to being carried around by a guy that was dead last week. Oh well. I can freak out about this all later, and then promptly collapse in a fit of exhaustion. Sounds like a very good plan...

After awhile Taisho started shaking me to get my attention, I had been drifting in and out of consciousness. "Mmm, what is it Taisho?"

"I smell my son, and a collective group of others." He murmured quietly.

I lifted my head and sniffed the air. Sure enough I could smell Inuyasha and the gang. I exhaled in relief, "Set me on my feet will ya?" He complied without a word. Gosh, now I felt short.

I started walking in the direction of Yash's scent, and soon came upon the sound of voices and the faint flickering of a fire through the trees. It sounded like all the guys were arguing, minus Miroku but plus Kouga. I paused at the edge of the clearing, and held my hand out so Taisho would stop too. He had been following a couple feet behind me so only I was visible to the clearing.

The only people that noticed me were Sesshomaru and Shippo. I held a finger up to my lips, letting them know not to say anything. Shippo nodded and went back to watching the fight, but Sesshomaru lifted his nose and sniffed the air. His eyes widened in shock (shocking me because you could see an emotion on his face), and he stared intently into the forest just above my head.

I ignored him and tuned in to the argument going on between Yasha, Kouga, and Seiran (Sesshy was currently incapable of speech it seemed).

"- fucking retarded if you think I'm going to let you make off with Phoenix the second she returns!" Inuyasha was yelling at Kouga, with Seiran nodding in agreement.

"Just try and stop me! You blew your own chance with Kagome and wrecked mine also! It's not fair how a mutt like you gets the good girls. Phoenix will be mine no matter what you say." At that I scowled at the back of Kouga's head, holding back the odd urge to growl. I was NOT a piece of property thank you very much.

I cleared my throat delicately, instantly getting everyone's attention. "I will personally see to it that the next person who talks about me like I am a piece of property will never have children. Ever." I made sure my tone of voice made it clear that I was serious. And I was.

Within the next second both Inuyasha and Kouga were standing in front of me. "Kouga. Go away. Seriously." I greeted. Then I was flying at Inuyasha, catching him off guard so we both tumbled to the ground in a heap. I ended up on top of Yasha, and for a second we both just stared at each other – then we both broke out laughing.

Once we had calmed down considerably from our hysterical laughter fit, I remembered Yash's dad was still in the forest. I stood up, pulling Yasha with me (secretly satisfied I could), to see everyone staring at us like we were crazy. I ignored and pecked Inuyasha's cheek.

"Thanks for rescuing me. Again. I have a present for you." I started walking back into the trees, with Yasha about two steps behind me. I turned around and pushed him back into the clearing. "Stay." I said holding my hand up, like you would with, well, a dog.

Inuyasha scowled but stayed put.

I turned back again and walked to Taisho, holding out my hand for him to take. He did, and I dragged him(he came willingly, of course) behind me into the clearing. When we broke back through the trees, it was like a hush had fallen over the clearing.

"Taisho, this is Kagome," I introduced, pointing out Kagome, and to every other person when I got to them. "Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Seiran, Rin, Kirara, Ah Un, Jaken, and Kouga. You obviously know Sesshy. And this," I walked over to Yasha and tugged gently on one of his ears. "Is Inuyasha."

Inuyasha was frozen, just standing there staring at his father. I took advantage of the situation by walking behind Yash and climbing up his back so my elbows were propped on his shoulders and my chin was resting on his head. Inuyasha was himself enough to slip his hands under my thighs so I wouldn't fall.

"Now, why don't we all go sit down?" Because I really didn't feel like standing during this explanation. I looked around, just realizing how dark it was getting around us. I must have been in that pearl/ball/thing longer than I had thought. "Come on Yash. He's not gonna disappear." I whispered in his ear, wrapping my arms around his neck.

Inuyasha turned to look back at me. "I'm not dreaming?" He whispered quietly. He sounded afraid of the answer.

I planted a small kiss on his forehead. "Of course not silly. Now lets go sit by the fire."

He nodded and walked towards the fire, everyone else following. Once we were all seated I got off Yasha's back and started to walk around the fire to sit by Kagome. I got about two steps before a hand wrapped around my wrist and I was pulled back onto Inuyasha's lap.

I looked up at him questioningly, but he wasn't looking at me. His eyes were fixed on his dad. Everyone else seemed to be doing that too, or staring at me and Yasha. Sigh, guess I would have to start off this conversation. "I just have one question Taisho. I didn't do this," I gestured at him with an arm. "Did I?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No little bird, you did not."

I scowled at the nickname. "Little bird?"

He held his hands up in front of him, chuckling at my fierce expression. "You wouldn't remember, but that's what your father always called you. You hated the name then, too." Then why would he use it now?

"So then, how are you here?" It was the question everyone was dying to ask, so I figured I'd do it while they were still in shock.

He sighed and settled down more comfortably on the ground. "My return has been planned since a short while after the night I died. The kami told me that I must not get too comfortable with the afterlife, because one day I would be awakened to help my sons and both their mates defeat their enemies." I've no idea why, but my heart sank at the part about both sons having mates. That Kikyho chick I had heard about wasn't gonna make a return appearance, was she?

"One thing that was never mentioned was that I would meet you again, Phoenix." Of course not.

I let out a dramatic sigh, complete with collapsing heavily against Inuyasha. "I guess I'm just that special." I tucked my face into Yasha's chest, a tiny bit disappointed that he had put his haori back on. I wish he would take it off again...

The thought startled me. I must have stiffened, because Inuyasha looked down at me, concerned. "Are you alright?" I had never noticed how deep and husky and incredibly hot Inuyasha's voice sounded.

I could feel the blood rushing to my face, so I kept it pressed against him. "Mhmm. Just tired. Talk to your dad. I'm going to go talk to Kagome and Sango." I told him, pulling my face away when it had cooled down.

He nodded and reluctantly let me go. I smiled softly at him, trying to convey silently that I really was alright. I could sense his worry. Walking around the fire I beckoned Sango and Kagome over to the other side of the clearing. They followed me, and we all sat in a small circle at the edge of the firelight.

"What happened while I was gone?" I asked once we were all positioned comfortably. They both sighed and exchanged looks.

"You seem to have required my old admirer." Kagome stated. I rolled my eyes, looking around to see Kouga nowhere in sight.

Sango gazed at me sympathetically. "Inuyasha, Seiran, and Kouga all got into an argument after you disappeared. Kagome, Miroku, and I brought everyone else back here and made camp. With the idiots following of course. They were at it for hours before you returned." I sighed and glared over at the group of males.

"Kagome, do you have the rest of my clothes?" She nodded and walked over to her bag, pulling them out and walking back over to me. I smiled gratefully at her and stood up to put them back on. Once that was done I laid down on the ground, folding my arms beneath my head.

"Kagome, Sango, you guys have been great friends to me, thanks for putting up with all the trouble I've been causing lately." I told them both, rolling over on my side to look at them. They both smiled at me, reassuring me that it was okay.

"These past few weeks wouldn't have been very fun without you, Phoenix." Sango stated, patting my leg that was closest to her.

"Yeah, without you around it would have been the same old routine it always is. Search for shards, find some, fight Naraku, win some, lose some – boring after awhile. But you've become a part of our ragtag little pack, our family. Wouldn't be the same without you. You're stuck with us." Kagome agreed with a smile, playfully shoving my shoulder.

"Kagome, when's the next time your going back to your time?"

She looked shocked at the question, but answered anyway. "Well, I was planning on going tomorrow for some more supplies. Why?"

I sighed, saddened by what I was about to say. "I'm not going back. Not even to visit. I don't belong in that time, I don't even think I'd be allowed back. I know my mom will probably be at your shrine tomorrow, seeing as that was the place where I mysteriously disappeared. Tell her that I found my fireflies. Don't worry, she'll understand." I added at Kagome's confused look. "Oh – and will you get me a swim suit? You should bring one for Sango too. And swimming trunks for the guys! Ask my mom for my cookie jar, it's filled with cash. There should be more than enough in there to pay for the swim suits. Pretty please?"

She just rolled her eyes and laughed. "Sure, I'll tell her. And I'll get the stuff too. How bout I get towels and toys for the kids too?" I nodded, rolling back over onto my back to look at the stars. "I figured since I live in a palace by the beach we would need swim wear. You should probably get some water guns too, we can have a fight." Kagome laughed and agreed, before explainingwhat a water gun was to Sango.

We ended up just talking after that. One of those things girls are prone to do when they get together, like we were. A little piece of normal that we all needed right now.

I was almost asleep, listening to Sango and Kagome conversing quietly beside me, when the yelling woke me up. I exhaled loudly in exasperation. "Is a person not allowed to go to sleep around here? I almost died the other day you know!" I yelled loudly, springing up onto my feet.

Inuyasha and Seiran were all up in each others faces again. Or they were, before I screamed at them. I stormed up to Seiran and poked him in the chest. "You – sit down and shut the hell up." Turning to Inuyasha I poked him in the chest too. "You – do the same."

Stepping back I glared at them both. "I am trying to get some sleep. I just met a dead person, that is now alive, I was kidnapped awhile ago and almost killed. Do I not deserve some unforced, natural, peaceful sleep?" Sometime during my rant I had thrown my arms up in the air, and actually stomped my foot.

Once I was absolutely positive they weren't going to resume arguing, I jumped into the nearest tree. If I hadn't been so angry at being woken up I would have laughed at the exhilaration I felt flying through the air. The branch I landed on was large enough for me to curl up against the trunk of the tree and not fear falling off in my sleep.

I couldn't help but be disappointed at how cold and hard the tree was compared to Inuyasha. Which confused me even more, why was I noticing all these things about Inuyasha? I hadn't before. I mean, I was attached to Inuyasha before, but now it felt different.

Was I developing a crush on Inuyasha?

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

**End. I know chapter 6 is shorter than my other chapters, but I didn't want to withhold it from you few readers I have for much longer. I figured a short chapter was better than no chapter!**

**_- This chapter has been edited. I started this story in 2010 and I wasn't as good a writer or grammar Nazi I am now. I didn't want to change the way things happened, even though some of it could be better... Anywhore, edited, but the same. Enjoy!_**

**XoXo**

**Shadow**


	7. You Don't Fuck With Pinky Promises

**Chapter 7! Yay for chapter 7 – its being written! And if I don't space out and forget this chapter should be up much sooner than the others have! I have one thing to say though: If the person reviewing as demideath is reading this they better log on or get an account so I can reply to their reviews! That is all.**

**Disclaimer: Seriously, only stupid people wouldn't know that Rumiko Takahashi is Inuyasha's creator.**

**Phoenix's POV**

"Phoenix."

_I was laying flat on my back in a meadow filled with tall, green grass. Clouds were floating above me, each one in a different, more realistic shape._

_That one was shaped like a heart. That one a bunny. A puppy. Shippo in blob form. A lightning bolt. Kirara. I giggled as the last one floated by – it was shaped like a cloud. I laughed louder, throwing my arm up to point at it. "A cloud shaped like a cloud! How wonderful!"_

_"_Phoenix."

_I jumped up, twirling around with my arms spread wide. Looking down I noticed a skirt twirling around me. "That's odd..." I murmured and stopped twirling to examine what I was wearing._

_I was wearing a thin white dress, it had three quarter sleeves and hung off one of my shoulders, leaving the skin exposed. It fell loosely around my knees and swished around when I moved. I laughed again. "How silly of me, it's just a dress." I resumed my twirling around the meadow, and ended up twirling into the trees._

"Phoenix."

_I stopped twirling, finally responding to my name being called. Looking around I didn't see anybody, but I knew I was being watched._

_It was starting to scare me, after a few minutes. I knew I had heard that voice before, somewhere in my elusive past. But I couldn't for the life of me pull up any memories of the person the voice belonged to. The only thing I remembered was being terrified, and a whole lotta pain in my chest. My scar actually started to burn._

_"Who are you? Who's there?" I hated how panicked my voice sounded._

_The voice answered somewhere to my left. "Little sister. I'm offended you don't remember me." His (because it was obviously a male voice) voice was filled with mock pain._

_Little sister? My nightmare flashed through my mind, along with the image of the sword sticking out of my chest. Oh no..._

_I took off running through the trees the way I had come._

_Chuckling followed me, echoing through the forest. But the meadow wasn't there. The further I ran the darker it got, and the denser the trees became._

_"You can't run forever, little sister. No one will protect you from me this time." He laughed evilly._

_A sword came flying out of the forest towards me, aimed right at my chest – my scar to be exact. It was moving so fast, and I was still running, there was no time to stop._

_I screamed when it pierced my chest, going all the way through me._

"PHOENIX!"

My eyes flew open and I bolted into a sitting position, or tried to anyway. Inuyasha was holding me bridal style, standing in the middle of a narrow dirt road. Everyone else was standing around us, gazing down at me worriedly (well, in most cases. Sesshomaru had already determined I was fine and just looked bored. How rude).

I struggled out of Inuyasha's arms to the ground, only to be pulled back into them when I almost kissed the dirt. I mumbled a thanks and asked why everyone was staring at me.

"You've been muttering in your sleep for the last half hour. We weren't going to wake you up until you started screaming." Kagome told me, reaching up to feel my forehead. She was gonna be a great mom someday.

"Oi, you alright?" I bit my lip and looked up at Yasha.

"I'm fine Yash. Just a bad dream. You don't have to hold me anymore." He nodded and slowly set me down on my feet. I almost immediately missed his warmth. This wasn't good. I wasn't supposed to like my best friend.

"So why are we walking? I thought Kagome wanted to go back to her time." I asked, confused.

Kagome laughed and handed me a red bag that looked just like hers. "I've been back for hours. You were sleeping the whole time. I told your mom what you said and she understood. She gave me your cookie jar – and boy, how long have you been saving up?

There was a lot of cash in there. I got the stuff you asked for, and my mom made me put in some old clothes of mine that don't fit me anymore. They still might be a little big on you, but you could always fix them with the sewing kit my mom put in there..."

I laughed at the embarrassed look on her face. "I might just have to go back to your time, to thank your mother Kagome." I turned to Inuyasha. "I'm gonna go change behind a tree. I'll holler if anything happens."

He nodded. "Be careful, will ya?" I stuck my tongue out at him and took the bag with me behind a nearby tree to change. Setting it down I opened it and started rummaging through everything to find an outfit. There was a couple a pairs of shorts and skirts in there, along with some tank tops and t-shirts. Searching further I found three pairs of pants, a couple of long sleeved shirts, a hoodie, and a couple of dresses.

There was also the swimming stuff I had asked for, and the toys for the kids. Did this bag ever end? I shrugged and pulled on a white piece of fabric poking through the others.

Tugging it free of the others I almost dropped it in the dirt. It was the same dress I had been wearing in my dream. I gulped, trying to calm down my racing heart. I quickly looked into the forest around me, expecting that voice to start speaking to me any second now. But it never came.

I sighed and pulled my tank top over my head, tugging the dress on quickly. It fit just how it had in the dream, slipping off one shoulder. Tucking my tank top into a pocket inside my new bag I shouldered it and walked back out to the others. "Geez Kagome, I see why you use your bag now. This thing's bottomless." Kagome laughed and nodded in agreement.

I linked arms with her and Sango and everybody started walking again. Then I noticed a person missing. "Say, where's Seiran?"

"He left a short while after you fell asleep last night. He said that if you ever needed him you knew where to find him." Sango explained after a moment.

I slipped my arms out of theirs and crossed them over my chest. Why would he just leave like that? I hadn't really gotten a chance to talk to him or thank him properly for rescuing me. Stupid jerk.

I sped up until I was walking even with Inuyasha, linking my arm through his. I could feel his eyes on the side of my face. "Wolves are jerks." Turning to look up at him I smiled widely. "I like dogs better."

He snorted and looked back ahead. Did I see a blush there? How cute. If I had a crush on Yasha, then I might as well just go with it, not let it change anything.

I sidled up closer to Yasha, hugging his arm and resting my head on his shoulder (the

part I could reach). "Where we going?"

"We're goin' to Totosai's." Yash explained.

"Who?" I wonder if I should be scared.

"He's a master sword maker. You need a sword." He stated it like it was obvious.

"I don't know how to use a sword."

"I'll teach you!" Sango piped up from behind us. I smiled my thanks back at her.

"But how will he make a sword that's perfect for me?" If I needed a sword so bad then it better damn well be perfect for me. Just sayin' – err, thinking.

"He'll pull out one of your fangs and infuse it into the sword. Then it will be perfect for you." Taisho informed me from his spot walking in front of us. I ran my tongue over my newly pointed canines.

"How long will it take for it to grow back?" Its only cute for seven year olds to walk around missing teeth. I am fifteen. That would not be cool.

I felt a pressure on my shoulder, before Shippo's voice sounded by my ear. "Well

Inuyasha's grow back within a couple of minutes, and he's only a half demon. So yours should grow back pretty fast." Well, that was a relief.

I gathered Shippo into my arms and hugged him to my chest. "You're just a little ball of cuteness, Shippo." I informed him fondly, playing with his tail. I freakin' love that thing, its so furry and cute and soft.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

After awhile of walking with Inuyasha I dropped back to walk beside Ah Un. Threading my fingers through Ah's mane, I leaned against his neck.

"I feel so safe and comfortable right now, but I don't remember you guys at all from my childhood with Sesshomaru. It's odd. I've never felt more at home than I have here with you guys and everybody else. So much had happened lately, I just wish that there was one day where we weren't attacked. One day where I didn't have to worry about

Inuyasha or anybody else." I whispered while softly scratching the skin behind his ears.

Can dragons purr? Because I swear he was. Seriously.

I laughed and ducked under Ah's neck so I was walking between him and Un. Scratching behind both their ears, I planted a kiss on both their cheeks before drifting over to walk beside Inutaisho.

"Have I met Totosai before? His name doesn't ring a bell..." I asked him after a minute of walking in silence.

He chuckled loudly. "Oh yes, you were one of the very few people Totosai was ever pleasant too. He probably still has your bracelets too." Bracelets? What bracelets?

"Bracelets?" I asked, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Patience. We'll be there in an hour or so."

I huffed and walked back to link arms with Inuyasha. "Hey, Yash?"

He glanced down at me. "Yeah?"

"Will you carry my bag? Pretty please? I wanna walk through the trees but I don't want it to get all ruined." I asked, pouting up at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Keh, alright."

I dropped it into his hand and pecked him on the cheek. "Thanks Yash! Your the best!" Then I launched myself into the nearest tree's branches.

I kept up with the others, hopping from branch to branch, making sure I didn't lose concentration and fall, or wander too far ahead. I laughed softly, loving the feeling of the perfect balance I had. I barely would have been able to stand straight on a tree branch when I was human, let alone walk from branch to branch. Now I could see why Inuyasha liked trees so much. This was fun.

I got bored just walking through the trees, so I ran a ways ahead of the others to a branch I had seen that was sticking out above the path. Once I was on it I sat down and made sure that my dress was tucked up underneath my knees, and swung so I was hanging upside down on it.

I could still see the others just fine, even though they were still probably ten minutes away. I laughed giddily at the feeling I was getting. I could feel the blood rushing to my head, but it didn't bug like it would have before. Maybe being an immortal wasn't so bad after all.

I was still hanging upside down when the others finally reached me. Yasha stopped in front of me, questions clearly written all over his face. I grinned like the Cheshire cat. "Hey Yash. How goes it?"

"What are you doing?" Was his reply.

I grinned again. "Oh, you know. Just hanging." I told him, cracking up at my own bad joke.

He rolled his eyes and yanked on my arm, causing me to fall right off the branch and into his outstretched arms. I scowled up at him. "That wasn't nice, Inuyasha. I could have gotten hurt."

"You? Please." I glared at his chest and tried to squirm out of his hold but he just tightened his arms around my back and knees. My scowl deepened and I poked him in the chest. Repeatedly.

"Stop that." Yasha snapped, grabbing my wrist – effectively stopping my poking tirade.

So, naturally, I used the other hand. That was working out pretty well for a couple of seconds before Inuyasha switched his hold on me. Now my back was to his chest with my knees pulled up to mine, and my arms trapped in between, Yasha effectively holding me in that position with one arm. The other was holding my wrists together inside the Phoenix ball he had made, just in case I managed to wriggle them out.

"This is not fair, Inuyasha. Not fair at all. I can't wait til I get my sword, I'm gonna smack you with it." I whined loudly.

He snorted. "Like you could catch me."

I glared into space, imagining smacking Inuyasha repeatedly with a stick.

I was still curled up in a ball like that when we reached Totosai's. Yasha had let me down once, but I had kicked him in the shin and ran away. So he had chased me down and made the Phoenix ball he was just so fond of carrying. Stupid hanyou.

Totosai's house was neat. Really neat. He lived in some sort of volcano or whatever, and it was really neat. "I wanna live here." I stated loudly. "Now put me down, you stupid. I know how to walk ya know." I scowled up at Inuyasha.

"You better not kick me. Or bite me." He added the last bit when I flashed him a toothy grin.

"I won't. I promise. Pinky promise even. That shit's legit, dude." His forehead went all wrinkly like it always does when he's confused.

"What's a pinky promise?"

I took his confusion as an opportunity to squirm out of his hold. "You don't know what a pinky promise is?" He shook his head, taking a cautionary step back from me. "A pinky promise is something kids do in the future. Adults think they're silly, but kids take them seriously. You don't fuck with pinky promises." I educated him while stepping forward and grabbing his hand, arranging his fingers so they were in a fist with his pinky held out. Doing the same with mine, I linked our pinkies together and shook them once.

"See? That's a pinky promise. You don't break pinky promises. Ever." Then I punched him on the shoulder as hard as I deemed appropriate.

I was pleased to see my effort hadn't gone to waste when he almost lost his balance. He glared at me and rubbed his shoulder. I stuck my tongue out at him. "You didn't say a word about hitting."

I turned around and almost screamed. There was a huge three-eyed cow staring at me, with some bug-eyed old man sitting on it. "Holy shit! You scared the crap outta me!"

The cow leaned forward and started sniffing my hair. Okay that's weird... It let out a loud 'Moo!' before swiping it's large, very slimy and sticky tongue over my face.

"Ew! Momo, that's disgusting!" I exclaimed, not noticing what I had said. I was to busy trying to wipe giant cow saliva off my face.

I stumbled over to Inuyasha and grabbed the front of his haori, using it to clean my face.

Inuyasha scowled down at me. I just mumbled a "Thanks Yasha", before going back over to the cow.

"Momo! What did I tell you about licking my face?" I tapped him on the nose condescendingly. Then I gasped when I realized what I had done. Then I giggled, wrapping my arms around Momo's neck. "I remember you. Don't know how I forgot a three-eyed cow, but I remember you now." I whispered in his ear.

I took a step back from Momo and looked up at the old man, cocking my head to the side in concentration. Memories of him weren't coming back so easy.

He just continued gazing at me like he wasn't sure if I was there or not. Gosh, how many people did I know when I was little?

"Toto!" I exclaimed loudly, memories of playing here and bugging a funny looking old man flitting across mind.

Totosai looked extremely startled at the nickname. He clambered down off Momo to stand in front of me. "Phoenix?" He asked in the same old croaky voice he had a long time ago. At my nod his face crumpled in confusion. "You died." Well somebody likes to state the obvious.

"Really? You'd think I would know, since I was there and all." I drawled with an eye roll, going back to stand by Inuyasha (who at this point looked like a confused puppy [which he was] and it was frickin' adorable). I reached down and laced our fingers together, smiling reassuringly up at him when he looked down at me.

"So Toto, what's this about some bracelets a mine you got? And oh, I need a sword." I informed him.

He shut his eyes and shook his head at me like I was a child saying something amusing. "No. You need two." He croaked (He always croaks. He's like a frog. Hey! He could be a frog! With his big eyeballs and croaky voice. Hehehe... Totosai the Frog...)

Wait. Two? "Two?" Why would I need two? One is fine with me thanks. I told Totosai that too.

He shook his head again. "Two bracelets, two swords." He explained with that 'duh' tone of voice.

"Yeah. Because that makes so much sense to me." I rolled my eyes and looked over to see what the others were doing. Miroku and Sango were setting up a fire, Kagome was playing with the kids, Taisho and Sesshomaru were sitting underneath a tree talking to each other, Ah Un and Kirara were both laying down in the grass, and Jaken was Jakening. And Inuyasha was still standing beside me, now absently playing with my fingers, tracing the markings on my wrists with his claws. I tried not to shiver, those things were touch sensitive!

I turned back to see Totosai standing in front of me with a pair of menacing looking tongs in one hand, and two bracelets in the other. "Whoa Toto. What up with the tongs?"

"Those are the things he uses to pull out your teeth. Damn thing is painful." Yasha explained to me without looking up from our hands. That sounded wonderful.

I felt something being clamped onto my other wrist and looked down to see one of the bracelets that Totosai had been holding melting to itself around my wrist, just below my markings. Totosai confiscated my other wrist from Inuyasha and clicked the other bracelet around it. Inuyasha scowled at him and tugged my wrist back to examine the bracelet.

I rolled my eyes at his childishness (where did he learn that from?), and lifted my other arm up to do the same thing.

Both bracelets were identical to the other, and they were both very pretty and just my style. They were made out of some odd black metal and fit my wrists perfectly. Not even a piece of paper could get in between them and my skin. They were about two inches wide and each had a single row of odd blue and green stones circling around them. The stones were about a centimeter long and really shiny. I would bet anything they matched my eyes.

"Now, these aren't just bracelets Phoenix." Totosai's croak brought me out of my inspection. "They're the sheaths to the swords I'm going to make for you. Before I do that you have to activate the bracelets."

Sounds simple. "How do I activate the bracelets?"

"Just rub a tiny drop of blood onto two of the stones on each bracelet. The stones will soak up the blood, eventually turning your power into your swords power." I nodded my understanding and slipped my hand out of Inuyasha's.

Twisting both my index fingers together so each claw was resting on each fingertip, I applied enough pressure to draw a small bead of blood. Willing both wounds not to close I hurriedly rubbed the little beads of blood on a blue stone and green stone each. I watched the stones glow slightly before the blood disappeared and they looked the same as before.

"Right. That's done. Now wha-" Those tongs were about three inches away from my face.

"Open up." Totosai sounded oddly cheerful. Senile old coot.

I hesitantly opened my mouth and shut my eyes, grabbing Inuyasha's hand. There were about two seconds of shooting pain, one for each tooth. I clutched my mouth with both hands. "Fuck! That hurt!" I shouted between my fingers.

I glared up at Totosai – who was chuckling merrily while climbing back on Momo. He looked back over his shoulder at me. "Your swords should be ready in a couple of days."

Then he was floating away on his cow-made cloud with Momo.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

I was pouting.

Just plain out pouting with my hands crossed over my chest and my bottom lip sticking out, glaring at nothing in particular.

It had been four minutes since my teeth were pulled and they were only half grown back.

And I was hungry. And Shippo had candy. It just wasn't fair. Not fair at all.

Kagome had snatched the sucker I was about to pop into my mouth right outta my hand and told me I could have it back when my teeth grew back. That was two minutes ago.

I sat that way for another minute and a half before popping up as fast as I could and sprinting over to Kagome to snatch my sucker back. A second later I was sitting up against the same tree, in the same position, with a suck stick poking outta the corner of my mouth.

At first it seemed like nobody had noticed my stunt, until Taisho burst out laughing. I stuck my tongue out at him and pulled my sucker outta my mouth, flashing it at Kagome when she looked over at me.

She sent me a stern glare but relaxed her expression when I sent her a toothy grin, exposing my fully grown canines.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

I was currently sprawled comfortably across Inuyasha's lap staring at the moon. We had been camping outside Toto's place for almost two days. And now the moon was making me sad because it had nearly vanished. There was probably only a week or so before the new moon. I hate new moons. There's a huge black hole in the sky and the stars don't twinkle as brightly. It got on my nerves to no end. So I told Inuyasha about it. "Dude, it's almost the new moon. I hate new moons. The moon really is very pretty, it deserves to shine. Don't you think so Yasha?" I asked, switching my gaze from the moon to Inuyasha's face.

He glanced down at me for a second before gazing up at the moon. His eyes filled up with worry for a second, before they drained back into a neutral expression when Yasha noticed my scrutiny.

I sat up and trailed a claw lightly up and down the line of Inuyasha's jaw. "What's wrong Yash? Something's been bugging you all day." I murmured quietly, not wanting to

disturb the others that were sleeping around us.

Yasha leaned slightly into my touch. If I weren't so worried about him I would have smiled at the effect I had on him. He looked me in the eye for a second before looking away and shaking his head.

I sighed, he was being stubborn. Reaching up I cupped his face with both of my hands and rested my forehead against his, forcing him to look me in the eye. "Hey." I whispered quietly when he shut his eyes. He hesitated a moment before opening his eyes. Gold clashed with blue and green. I brushed one of my thumbs over his cheekbone, and let my breath ghost over his lips – ensuring I had his attention. "Please tell me what's wrong?" I pleaded quietly.

He sighed and pulled me closer to him, shutting his eyes again. "I turn into a human the night of the new moon." He finally whispered back after a moment.

The first emotion I had when I processed what he had said was despair. The thought accompanying that emotion was that his cute puppy ears were going to disappear. Then I was angry at him for not telling me this sooner. Then I was relieved that was the only thing he was worrying about, and he wasn't hurt in some way.

So relieved that I wrapped my arms around Inuyasha's neck and kissed him.

**And there goes Chapter 7... Woot! They kissed! I have been planning that for awhile now ;). Hope you liked it!**

**_- This chapter has been edited. I started this story in 2010 and I wasn't as good a writer or grammar Nazi I am now. I didn't want to change the way things happened, even though some of it could be better... Anywhore, edited, but the same. Enjoy!_**

**XoXo**

**Shadow**


	8. He Kissed Me Back

**Okay, so here's the long awaited for next chapter! It may not be as long as the others or it may be, I don't have an actual keyboard to type on lol. Just a touch screen keyboard type thingy. And I apologize in advance for any misspelled words, no spell check either. I'll try to proofread this when I'm on the actual computer uploading it. Okay I've babbled on enough up here, on to the story!**

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

I think I just had a moment of temporary insanity. Nope, I'm stilled attached to Inuyasha's face. And boy, it felt nice too.

I had no idea how Inuyasha felt about it though, he seemed to be still in shock. Oopsie. I slowly pulled back my face to take in his expression. His eyes were all glazed over, and I couldn't quite read his expression. At least he didn't look horrified, or disgusted.

I had just opened my mouth to ask if he was alright when he cupped the back of my head in his hands and kissed me, urgently.

After a minute or two of R-rated kissing we pulled apart for air. "You have no idea how bad I've wanted to do that. Hell, I didn't even realize.." Yasha rumbled quietly, resting his forehead against mine.

A relieved laugh burst out of my mouth, and I smiled. "That's a good thing, I guess. Cause, you know, it just happened and it wouldn't be a very good thing for me if you hadn't have wanted to." Ain't that the truth. Geez, my feelings were on some sort of high, they were all over the place. But not one of them was bad or negative.

We were quiet again for awhile, I knew Yasha wasn't the type to just sit around and talk about feelings. I understood that and I didn't mind. At least he wasn't all emotionless like Sesshomaru. That jerk, I needed to soften him up...

On another note, Inuyasha was a great kisser. Huh, who woulda thunk? I wasn't complaining though. We spent a little more time awake but then I started yawning and Yasha said I needed to 'go the hell to sleep, because he was gonna kick my butt when I got my sword sometime tomorrow'.

"Yeah, sure Yasha. And I'm a natural brunette. Now hush, I need my beauty sleep." I murmured sleepily.

The last thing I heard before I succumbed to sleep was Inuyasha's snort of disbelief.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

Somebody seriously needed to stop poking me. Like now. Phoenix does not like being poked. Phoenix needs to quit thinking in third person, she's not Sesshomaru.

"Geez! I'm up already! Quit fuckin' poking me!" I growled, batting hands away from my face.

The sound of feminine laughter met my ears. "You sound more like Inuyasha everyday Phoenix, and I don't mean that as a compliment either." Sango's voice sounded from above my head. "Now hurry and wake up! Totosai's on his way with your swords! Inutaisho, and Sesshomaru both sensed him on the way a couple of minutes ago."

I instantly perked up at the mention of my swords, sitting up so fast I barely missed clocking Sango with my forehead. "Heh, sorry Sango. I'm just a little excited."

Everybody got to have fun with their own special weapons except for me. Hell, even Rin had a little dagger that Sesshomaru had grudgingly gotten for her when she couldn't stop admiring it's pretty hilt in a demon village we were passing through a week or so ago. Shippo had his magic, Miroku had his houshi powers and staff - the wind tunnel was a curse, not a weapon - Sango had all her tajiya weapons not to mention Hiraikitosu, Kagome had her bow, Sesshomaru was Sesshomaru, Inuyasha had Tetsusaiga, and, well, InuTaisho was the Great Dog of the West.

I could smell hints of Momo on the breeze. Oh geez, I could almost vibrate from excitement. I didn't mind having Inuyasha protect me, and I knew he liked having someone to protect, but I really wanted to learn how to defend myself. It would just be counterproductive for me to be some powerful immortal, and not be able to save my own skin.

Totosai appeared a moment later, holding two long, skinny objects in wrappings in his arms.

Both my bracelets began to tingle the second my eyes locked on those packages. Those were MY swords, they were a part of me, practically literally.

"Hurry up Toto! You're taking forever!" I yelled after a moment. Being around Inuyasha so long had made me a tad impatient, but what can I say? He was rubbing off on me.

Not like I minded all that much, I wasn't exactly Miss Sunshine before anyway.

As was expected, Totosai completely ignored me and took his own sweet time getting to us. Senile old coot.

Was I the only one who realized how excited I was? Geez, where was Inuyasha? I needed someone to complain at for a minute. I looked around the clearing, catching different glimpses of silver hair, but no dog ears. Hmm, now I was curious. Where was Inuyasha?

"Say, Kagome, where's Yasha?" I called out to her.

Kagome, who was seated in Sesshomaru's lap, craned her neck back to look at me. She frowned a moment in thought, before answering. "Rin made him go flower picking with her, she's really good at that puppy face you taught her." We both laughed at the thought if Inuyasha being dragged around by Rin, holding all her flowers, probably with some in his hair.

"Well then, I guess he's alright." I said with another laugh.

Speak of the devil and the devil shall arrive, Inuyasha walked into the clearing not a moment later, accompanied by Rin.

I would have laughed at how ridiculous he looked, covered in flowers, but just then a huge tongue swept over the side of my face. "Momo! No licking the face! I need that!"

Everybody laughed at that. I scowled and held a hand out to Totosai expectantly. "Well, hand them over! Please," I tacked on the end so I didn't sound too much like Inuyasha.

Totosai grumbled something unintelligible under his breath before relinquishing the swords to me. I clutched them both protectively to my chest before immediately plopping down on the ground with them in my lap. Now that I actually had them, I was almost to nervous to unwrap them.

The others must have noticed because soon after I felt Inuyasha sit next to me. He reached over and tugged lightly on the joined wrappings, causing them to unravel and slide to the ground. I shut my eyes, before I could catch a glimpse of them.

Why was I so nervous? I took a deep breath and opened my eyes.

They were amazing. One was blue and the other was green. They weren't as big as Tetsusaiga, both were long and extremely thin, perfect for slicing through armor. Their hilts were small, perfect for my tiny hands, and they were both decorated with big stones like the ones on my bracelets - blue on the green sword, green on the blue.

I loved the fact that they matched my eyes, it made them even more a part of me in my eyes. "What are their names?" I asked after a minute.

"Shinko and Kibo." Totosai croaked, and pointed a gnarled finger at a portion of each sword right before the hilt. Looking closely, I noticed small engravings on each sword, Shinko the green, Kibo the blue. **(A/N: Okay, I usually hate adding author's notes in the middle of the story, but this couldn't wait - in my mind. According to Google translate, Shinko means faith, and Kibo means hope, so I'm sorry if those are incorrect, but I kinda like them both so even if they're wrong I'm sticking with them for the names of Phoenix's swords.)**

I think I surprised myself, and everyone else with my next actions.

I leapt up from my sitting position, straight at Totosai.

And gave him the biggest hug I could manage.

"Thank you so much Toto! They're lovely!" I released him as quickly as I had embraced him. His eyes seemed wider than usual, if that was even possible. I crouched down and carefully gathered Shinko and Kibo from where they had fallen when I jumped.

Toto mumbled something under his breath about the proper way to thank someone for their hard work, and something else about ungrateful dogs.

"Oi." Inuyasha's gruff voice sounded from behind me. "Where are the sheathes at old man?"

Good question Yasha, I couldn't just carry around to extremely sharp, naked swords, they need to be sheathed when I wasn't using them.

Totosai looked surprised, like it was obvious. "They're around her wrists, pup. She only has to take one in each hand and wish them to be sheathed and they shall." And with that Totsai and Momo turned around and retreated back the way they had come.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

"Your swords are so much prettier than Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga, Phoenix!" Kagome exclaimed, fingered the stone in Shinko's hilt. I had permitted her and Sango both to examine them along with me, after all, they were stunning.

"I agree with Kagome, they are quite beautiful for demonic swords." Sango murmured.

"That's because they were made for me, a girl. And every demonic sword is made from a part of some demon and matches them in some way." Don't know where that knowledge had come from, probably one of my lessons as a child. "I guess I'll have to figure out they're special attacks for myself."

"That's how Inuyasha did it." Kagome murmured handing me back my sword, Sango doing the same. I took Shinko in my right hand and Kibo in my left, and imagined them being sheathed. They immediately shot backwards from my hands toward my wrists, disappearing once they hit my bracelets.

"That was neat, I wonder how I get them out." On the word 'out' Shinko and Kibo shot out into my hands. I smiled, they fit perfectly in my hands, Totosai really knew what he was doing.

A tan hand reached over my shoulder and ran a finger along the side of Shinko's hilt.

"See how thin this is?" InuTaishio's voice sounded from behind me. "That means you can also use them as one," He guided my hands together. "Like this." Of course he was right. They fit together so perfectly it looked like I had a double-sided sword. Oh my, this just kept getting better.

I whipped around, searching the clearing for a certain inu-eared friend. "You," I called out, pointing a finger at him up in his tree, "Come here." I twisted my hand and crooked the finger at him until he finally hopped out of the tree.

"What?" Yasha asked when he finally stood in front of me.

I separated Shinko and Kibo, reluctantly sheathing them. "I want to try this thing I remember from a lesson I had with Sesshomaru when we were little." I carefully grasped his face between my - admittedly tiny - hands. "Sesshomaru was horrid at it, but I remember I got the hang of it after a couple tries." I could feel a certain demon lord glaring at my back for mentioning something he wasn't perfect at, but I just ignored him. "What I'm gonna try to see if I can still do is absorb knowledge from your mind.

Not like your entire life or anything, just fighting skills. If it works I'm gonna try on everyone, so we don't have to take forever training me."

Inuyasha nodded his consent, eyeing me curiously. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, recalling the words our tutor had said back then.

"The key to this exercise is to concentrate on nothing but the knowledge you wish to gain from the other person. Close off the rest of the world. Every demon has the power to delve into minds, some are competent, some are not."

I kind of remembered how to access another persons mind, but it took me a couple of concentration filled minutes before I was immersed in Inuyasha's memories.

He was following Kikyo's scent, he had seen her soul collectors and immediately rushed off...

Kagome was running from him in tears, just having witnessed Kikyo and him embracing...

He was running as fast as he could through the trees. Kagome had just announced that she was that cold bastard's intended.

Glaring at Sesshomaru from his tree, as he held Kagome while she slept. She looked happy in his brother's arms.

I snapped myself out of the stream of memories. Whoa, intense. I was determined not to accidentally slip into Inuyasha's memories again.

After another minute I fell into the trance-like state required to absorb information.

Immediately fighting stances and battle strategies flowed into my mind. Once that was done, I stayed in Yasha's mind and took in a couple scents I would need in the future - like Naraku's, and Kikyo's.

I had words for her.

Opening my eyes, I smiled up at Inuyasha. "Thanks Yash!" I beamed brightly, before prancing off to Sango. I barely caught a glimpse of the minuscule blush that painted his cheeks.

After the first initial try with Yasha, getting important information from everyone else was easier. I kept myself in check, strictly avoiding anything that wasn't information I needed.

Once I hit Kagome, I shared combat knowledge I had picked up from Sango and Miroku with her, absorbing her knowledge of plants and herbs that she had learned from Kaede.

When I was done I practically collapsed on the ground, exhausted, random bits and pieces of what I had absorbed swirling around my mind.

Inuyasha was instantly by my side. "Are you alright?" He asked, pulling me into his lap and examining me for any sort of injury.

I smiled weakly up at him, man I was spent. Naptime for me. I shut my eyes and leaned back against him, drifting into a half-awake, half-asleep state almost instantly.

Inuyasha tried waking me up, but I just mumbled at him to shut up, couldn't he see how tired I was?

Miroku - the ever-present voice of reason - assured him quietly. "Calm down Inuyasha. Phoenix has never really used her powers before, she has to build up stamina for these kinds of things. Even somebody like Phoenix can't get things right immediately."

Murmurs of agreement sounded from around the camp. I didn't even hear Inuyasha's reply before I was out completely.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

**Okay, I think I'll end it here. I know that I - as thee author - have noticed that Phoenix falls asleep a lot. So I'll explain to you lovely readers why. She's just turned back into a powerful immortal demon, she still hasn't discovered all her powers, and she isn't really used to her new body on a subconscious level. She doesn't really notice because she can be a bit of a scatter-brain. Every time she tries out a new power you'll probably notice her taking a nap afterwards, sometimes not. And when her memories start to resurface in whole she'll be wiped out. Love you:D**

**_- This chapter has been edited. I started this story in 2010 and I wasn't as good a writer or grammar Nazi I am now. I didn't want to change the way things happened, even though some of it could be better... Anywhore, edited, but the same. Enjoy!_**

**-Shadow**


	9. The Chapter In Which Nothing Happens

**So, the last chapter was shorter than I would have liked. But it was better than I expected it to be for content. I'll try to make this one a little longer now that I have access to a real keyboard. I have no idea when this chapter will actually be up, but I'm currently typing it directly after publishing the last one. That chapter and this one are suck-up chapters for the many months this story was left alone. It was extremely upset with me, I had to apologize to Phoenix and Inuyasha both profusely for many minutes. But I'm babbling again so I'll just get on with the story now..**

**Underlined words are in English.**

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

It had been just about a week since we had been to Totosai's, and I was progressing pretty well with Shinko and Kibo in combat, I thought so anyway.

Inutaisho complimented me occasionally, and I would catch Sesshomaru giving me approving looks. I mainly trained with Sango and Inuyasha, even though I had absorbed the knowledge of how to do things, that didn't mean I had mastered them right off the bat. I knew how to break the stances down, or tweak them to benefit somebody my size, but help from the others really had me coming along better than if I had tried to learn by myself.

Sango was always teaching me new things as she learned them, and Inuyasha was surprisingly creative when coming up with new ways to attack. Kagome was always giving me praise, and Miroku offered constructive criticism whenever I dueled with him.

The few times I had trained with Sesshomaru he had left me in a crumpled, slightly bruised pile of Phoenix in the grass, which then led to him and Inuyasha getting into an argument.

Inutaisho refused to actually train with me until I was better. He said that he'd fight me when I actually had a chance of escaping with minor bruises. But he did show me multiple stances that would work for my size, and he made me sit with him for an hour every night while he quizzed me on escape strategies, battle strategies, and things like that.

This was one of those times, but this time Inuyasha was required to sit with us and listen, because sometimes he really didn't think things completely through, and Shippo was there to, because he had finally decided to age again so he could learn to fight (and I think he had a crush on Rin).

"Naraku has you specifically targeted, and has that feather woman separate you from the rest of the group while fighting -" I internally sniggered at his name for Kagura. "- she's wounded you badly and you're running out of energy. What do you do to defeat her and get back to the others?" Inutaisho's deep voice sounded through the night.

I picked at long pieces of grass, weaving them together mindlessly. "Where has she wounded me, and is it poisoned?" I asked after a minute.

"Across your stomach, miasma is currently coursing through your veins." Of course it was.

I considered a moment. "I guess I would rub spit into the wound to help it heal, then collapse so the windy bitch would think she had gotten to me." I contemplated my next answer for a moment.

Inutaisho nodded approvingly. "And when she approaches you to take you away?"

"A certain green sword appears out of nowhere directly into her tummy." I grinned at the image that brought to mind.

He raised an eyebrow. "And if that doesn't bring her down?"

"A blue sword plunges into her throat. But, of course neither will kill her, seeing as her heart remains with Naraku. But it might make her disappear for awhile, at least." I looked up for approval.

Inutaisho nodded. "Very good. You're doing much better than when we began, little bird. You may go."

I smiled to myself, pleased with the praise. At the beginning of the week I hadn't gotten any of the questions right, and I had been dismissed because my answers were 'enough to give any demon a headache'. I left Inuyasha sitting with his father, they really needed to spend more time together, and sat down by Kagome, warming my hands above the fire.

Kagome paid me no notice, frantically pawing through her math textbook. We were currently on our way back to the well to drop Kagome off for her end of year exams. "Do you need help with that Kagome? I was a nerd once in my life, you know. Math is easy once you know your way around it." I offered.

Kagome's head snapped up so fast I swear it was a miracle she didn't break her neck. She was in my face in a second, hands on my shoulders, a crazed look on her face. "You understand this mush?"

I gently pushed on her shoulders, getting the crazy girl from my breathing area. "Yes, the 'mush' is quite easy to understand. Now calm down or you won't be able to understand anything I say."

She took a few deep breaths, and shut her eyes. After a moment she opened her eyes again and gave me a relieved smile. "Okay, I'm better." I smiled back at her and grabbed the book from her lap.

We spent the next few hours reviewing all the types of problems she knew her class had been working on. Kagome slowly started to understand what I was teaching her, and by the time we were both to tired to carry on, she was pretty proficient in breaking down and solving the problems by herself. "We'll do some more tomorrow too." I bit out around a yawn.

I sat on a particularly soft piece of grass near the tree line, and curled up in a ball to sleep.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

The next day wasn't particularly eventful. We continued on our journey back to Kaede's village, Kagome and I walking arm-in-arm reviewing math problems, and I also helped her for her English exam.

"The rain in Spain fell noisily on the plane." I recited in a sing-song voice. "Now repeat that." Kagome did, albeit a little mangled, but much better than whenever Sango joined in from Kagome's other side.

Sango huffed in annoyance. "I think that's enough of this 'eengilish'." I giggled at her mispronunciation.

"Don't worry Sango, you'll get the hang of it someday. And when you do, we can teach everybody else a few choice phrases so we can communicate in battle and nobody will know our plans!" The plan was brilliant! And I had just thought of it too. "Not even Naraku knows anything about it!" I spun around and made eye contact with Inutaisho. "Isn't that a good idea?"

He inclined his head in approval, "That's an excellent idea, little bird." Sometimes I think he used that nickname just to irritate, but it was growing on me. I faintly remembered being called that by a tall figure that smelled like home.

We walked at a steady pace for another day or two before reaching Inuyasha's forest. I could just see the God Tree poking up above the others in the distance. Woot! Home at last!

I almost stopped in my tracks at that thought. This was the first time I had ever really thought of here as home. I smiled to myself, this was home. This was where I was born, if not where I'll die.

I walked for the next hour or so in silence, barely noticing when I had dropped to the back of the group to walk beside Inuyasha. I didn't even really register his presence until he tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "Oh, hi Yasha." I smiled up at him and linked my arm through his. "How was your talk with your dad last night while I was with Kagome?"

Yasha remained silent for a moment, kicking pebbles out of our path. "It was okay." He muttered at last.

I tugged lightly on his arm with mine. "Come on Yash, don't be so stingy with information. This is me your talking to."

He sighed and gave me a half-smile. "We talked about my mom." He finally murmured quietly.

I replied just as quietly, since there were super-eared demons around. "What was her name?"

"Izayoi." Ahead of us Inutaisho's head twitched slightly in our direction at her name.

"That's a pretty name." I murmured quietly. "What did she look like? I bet she was pretty."

Inuyasha let out a small sigh. "She was a lot more than pretty. All the old lech's in the village we lived in were always after her attention. The other ladies always looked down on her and were rude to her because of me, but she never once said a word against them." He looked off into the distance in a rare moment of thoughtfulness.

I decided the expression was cute, but completely out of place on Inuyasha's face, so I lightly poked his cheekbone and stuck my tongue out at him. "Race ya!" I exclaimed, already speeding off past the others. I caught a split second of Inuyasha's shocked expression before he was tearing off after me. "Loser can't touch the ground until Kagome gets back from her time!" I called back as I sprinted through the trees.

I heard laughter from behind us, and another set of footsteps as Sesshomaru drew level with me. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Really Sesshy? I always beat you in races as a kid." He scoffed and pulled in front of me.

Well that just won't do.

I took three flying leaps and landed steadily on a large tree branch. Hopping from limb to limb always took less time than running. Moving this fast was a little disconcerting at first, but soon I got used to it and had pulled ahead of both brothers, my toes barely touching a branch before I was on to the next.

Sesshomaru was only a pace or two behind me, and Inuyasha about half a step behind him. This was gonna be a close call.

An idea popped into my mind, and I grinned evilly.

I hadn't really tried out my strength before, so what better time to start than now? I put on an extra burst of speed and got a ways ahead of the brothers. My main threat was Sesshomaru at the moment, so he was my target. When they entered my sight again I dropped upside down in a place that put me on a collision course straight with Sesshomaru.

By the time he had registered that I was there it was to late to do anything about it. I snatched his wrist when he got close enough and threw him into the air as hard as I could from my awkward position, before dropping to the ground in front of a laughing Inuyasha and took off again.

I had absolutely no idea how far Sesshomaru had gone, but I couldn't hear the growls I'm positive he was emitting at the moment. One thing that irked my Sesshy (not like that ya weirdies. He's Kagome's obviously but he's still my best friend) more than anything when we were little was being outsmarted by childish means.

The village was nearing pretty quick. I could smell all the humans and hear the children playing. By this time Inuyasha had recovered himself and wasn't far behind me at all. I could feel his body heat he was so close behind me. Both our breathing was just as steady as ever, even with Yasha still chuckling under his breath.

A flash of white quickly entered my vision and I glanced up to see Sesshomaru quickly descending in front of us. Inuyasha swore. "Bastard ain't beating me." The second Sesshomaru landed in a crouch on the ground, I felt myself being lifted off the ground and launched straight at his back.

Oh, you think you're so clever Inuyasha, trying to take me and Sesshomaru out of action at once. Not happening.

Inuyasha pulled in front of me as I was flying toward his brother. I quickly did a somersault through the air (gymnastics had always been a strong point of mine) and used Sesshomaru's back as leverage to launch myself back into the trees.

My right hand was tingling pretty intensely for some reason, but I put it to the back of my mind. I was so winning this race. I was in the zone.

I shut my thoughts off and concentrated entirely on the race. Sesshomaru was immediately to my left and behind me, and Inuyasha was just passing the bone eater's well. Without even thinking about it I lifted my right hand and flicked my wrist towards Yasha. A purple whip like Sesshomaru's shot out of my fingertips and snagged around Inuyasha's ankle.

I had enough time for about a split second of shock before I yanked my arm back and tripped him, then flicking my arm back to trip Sesshomaru too. Of course he was expecting it, so he side-stepped deftly and pulled up even with me.

We both put on extra bursts of speed at the same moment, but mine put me just far enough in front of Sesshomaru to beat him to the first house of the village.

I slapped my hand to the rough wood exactly half a second before he did, and two before Inuyasha did. "HA!" I exclaimed, sticking my tongue out at both brothers. "Up on the roof you go, boys. Can't touch the ground 'til Kagome gets back. The floors of huts and such don't count, but everywhere else does."

I swear Sesshomaru rolled his eyes before he jumped onto the roof. I jerked my head towards the roof, smirking at Inuyasha. He shrugged and returned my smirk, hoisting me over his shoulder before jumping up.

A laugh burst out of my throat. "Inuyasha, you jerk, let me down!"

I was immediately thrust over the edge of the roof, Yash holding me up just underneath my arms. I did my best Sesshomaru glare and imagined monkeys smooshing his face between their butts, and then farting. (Hey, if I was going to be held like a child, I was gonna think like one.)

"You have to the count of three to set me down, on the roof." I warned.

Inuyasha smirked and raised an eyebrow at me. "Or else what?"

"Or I won't kiss you until Shippo's fifty." I held up three fingers. "Three." Down went the first finger.

Inuyasha looked contemplative. Maybe he thought I was joking.

"Two." And then there was one. I was still doing my Sesshy glare, trying hard not to burst out laughing.

"On-" I couldn't even finish the number before I was back over solid roof, Inuyasha's lips locked securely onto mine.

"Silly hanyou." I giggled when he let me come up for air. "You thought I was being serious."

He made a face at me before kissing me again. Okay, I like Inuyasha a lot and everything but I can hear everyone getting closer, and this is something the little kids don't need to see. I tried pulling away a few times, only to be pulled right back in. I could feel my resolve crumbling – quickly, too – so I took a figurative deep breath and sank my canines into Yash's bottom lip.

The result was instant. Inuyasha let out a surprised yelp and let go of me. "What was that for, wench?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." I wagged a finger at him. "You know my name, Yasha. And the kids are down there." I jerked a thumb over my shoulder at the rest of the gang waiting patiently on the ground.

He put on his signature Inuyasha pouty face, and grumbled under his breath. "Didn't have to bite me. Damn things bleeding."

Large drops of red were dripping down his chin. I walked forward and caught a drop on my thumb, and then – doing possibly the most weird thing I have ever done in my life – sucked the drop off my thumb. Inuyasha didn't really react, blood was a common source of nourishment among demons (not like vampires, drinking drinking blood isn't common, but most demons can eat things raw and raw meat accompanies blood and such), but I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.

By this time Sesshomaru was nowhere in sight and everybody else had filed into Kaede's hut further in the village.

Inuyasha slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me flush against his chest. "The kids can't see anymore." His voice was husky.

My tongue slipped out of my mouth of it's own accord and wet the corner of my lips, my eyes centered on the slow stream of blood. "Sorry I bit you." My eyes drifted up to his.

"Want me to kiss it better?" I asked, our lips centimeters apart.

I had absolutely no idea who this alternate Phoenix chick was, but her voice was a seductive purr (if I do say so myself), and what she had said in the first place would have made me blush (so there's no way she could be me because I would have told Inuyasha to suck it up – literally.) Blood used to freak me out, apparently not anymore though.

Suffice to say Inuyasha's answer was yes, and the rest went from there.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

By this time it was dark, and everyone was seated in Kaede's hut. Inuyasha was more proficient than I thought he would be at getting around with out touching the floor. To get into the hut without touching the floor he had just jumped off the roof and snagged the top of the doorway and swung himself carelessly into the hut. It was pretty funny because he landed on Miroku.

I had watched the whole thing from the ground before jumping to the roof to see if I could pull Inuyasha's entrance off a little more gracefully. Grabbing onto the top of the doorway was easy enough, but unlike Inuyasha, I have a brain that functions correctly, so when my momentum swung me forward I released the door at the top of the arch I was currently making and somersaulted to land silently on my feet.

"Show off." Inuyasha grumbled under his breath. I sent a smirk his way and situated myself in the tiny space available between Kagome and Sango. They both gave me high-fives and complimented my acrobatics.

I don't remember falling asleep, and I certainly don't remember being passed around until I was back with Inuyasha. The only thing I remember is that one second the fire and everyone's voices were making me drowsy, and the next that I was dreaming.

_I was in a huge ball room, surrounded by dozens of handsome demon lords, and beautiful demoness ladies, all dressed in the best finery money can buy. Everywhere I looked there was a different kimono in a different color, and all of them were stunning._

_Suddenly, a demoness at the front of the room began singing a slow, entrancing song, her voice amplified around the room by power._

_"May I have this dance, my little bird?" A deep voice asked from behind me._

_I twirled around and smiled up at possibly the most handsome man in the world. _

_"Daddy!" I exclaimed and flung myself into his arms._

_He chuckled and caught me easily. "Shouldn't you be dancing with mommy?"_

_He spun us so we could see the entirety of the dance floor. "See that?" He asked, pointing out my mother (who was in the prettiest emerald kimono in the room) dancing with a handsome silver-haired daiyoukai. "That rotten Inutaisho stole her away to dance with. So I decided to come dance with the prettiest lady in the room."_

_I beamed up at him. He set me down, careful to set me on his toes. I giggled and placed a hand on his upper-arm (it was the highest I could reach) and watched as my hand _

_completely disappeared in his._

_Then we were dancing, twirling and spinning and dipping and diving, lost in a sea of colors. Just before the song ended I found myself flying through the air towards the ceiling. I let out a shriek of delighted laughter, and spread my arms out so the sunset orange sleeves of my kimono looked like wings._

_The last thing I saw was my father's face smiling up at me._

I lay completely still, not moving a muscle. I was desperately trying to commit the faces of my mother and father to memory. His eyes matched my green one, just like hers matched the blue. She and I had the same hair, we all had the same pale skin. I was tiny like she was. He had that little mischievous twinkle in his eyes that I knew sometimes crept into mine. They were perfect, and they were mine.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

**I've absolutely no idea if they had ballroom dancing in feudal era Japan. They seriously probably didn't. But anybody with a problem can deal with Phoenix's butt monkeys. You know the ones. This is it for chapter – what is this? Eight? - eight. Geez, I feel accomplished, two chapters published in one day! Woot!**

**_This chapter has been edited. I started this story in 2010 and I wasn't as good a writer or grammar Nazi I am now. I didn't want to change the way things happened, even though some of it could be better... Anywhore, edited, but the same. Enjoy!_**

**Shadow**


	10. BLoodlust and Little Balls Strike Again

**Okay, so I already had some of this typed on my school computer, and I saved it on my flashdrive. Then I moved, had to turn the school laptop in, and when I go to open up this chapter on my dad's computer, and his Pages isn't updated enough so the chapter won't open. So here I am, starting again from scratch. It's oh-so-fun. Not. Well, anyway, enjoy!**

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

This was one seriously boring day. We were walking and walking like usual, and there had been no attacks, no obstacles, no other people on the road. We hadn't even been through a village since the day before yesterday. I was considering punching someone in the face (Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, etc.) just to have a bit of fun. I mean, a little bit of sparring was better than nothing, right?

I sighed and blew my bangs up out of my face, crossing my eyes. "I don't think I have ever suffered a more tedious day in my life." I grumbled under my breath.

"Well, then you've never been to one of my math classes." Kagome grumbled back at me. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Even walking is boring! Everything is boring! I'm going to die of boredom!" I wailed loudly after another few minutes of silence. "Die, you hear me! Die! Like, dead. Not asleep, not just taking a break, dead. D-E-A-D. Dead. As a doornail." I whirled around and grabbed Inuyasha by the front of his haori. "Dead." I whispered as pitifully as I could manage - which is pretty frickin' pitiful, I'm a marvelous actress. Just ask anybody. I fell into his chest like a rag doll for emphasis.

I could practically hear people rolling their eyes at me. When Phoenix has energy and is bored, she gets dramatic. And talks in third person. She does that a lot, actually.

Inuyasha scoffed and scooped me up, carrying me bridal style. "You're a pain in the ass." He stated, looking me straight in the face.

I grinned cheekily up at him. "Yeah, but you love me anyway, so shut up and walk faster." With that said, I snuggled down into his chest, laid my ear against his heartbeat, and checked out of reality for awhile. It was boring anyway.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

Flying through the air unexpectedly woke me up. Landing in a crouch gracefully brought me fully back to reality.

"Inuyasha?! What the fuck?!" I yelled. Stupid hanyou.

Inuyasha was a little busy, it turned out.

While I had been sleeping, a group of huge oni had started trailing us, and decided to attack. Nice. Finally Phoenix gets some action!

They were grotesque. All huge and blundering, and extremely fowl smelling. I grimaced and pulled the sleeve of my dress up over my hand, placing it over my nose.

There were at least ten, and they didn't appear very smart, nor powerful, but their size and thicker hides made them harder to do away with, it appeared.

A couple were harassing Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, those were the largest. Inutaisho was surrounded by three slightly smaller ones, and Sango and Miroku were standing over two already dead ones, simultaneously fighting others. Kagome was shepherding the kids back into the safety of the trees, flicking her eyes nervously at a particular purple oni who was just watching the action, like me.

I stood up and started towards it. It watched my approach passively with it's large, pupil-less red eyes, a sneer attached to it's ugly face. I stopped about ten feet from it, feet shoulder-width apart, body tensed, waiting for it to make the first move.

It did. With a snarl it swiped a meaty hand at me, chubby fingers clutching empty air where I had just been standing. Being able to do flips on the fly like that was fun.

With a simultaneous flick of my wrists and snap of my fingers Shinko and Kibo appeared in my hands, gleaming and ready for their first real battle.

I crouched underneath another swing of it's great arm, and somersaulted forward to jab it quickly in the stomach, before running up it's body and using it's back as a springboard to get out of the range of those long arms.

The howl that sounded in my ears let me know that my swordsmanship had hit the mark. I twirled around lightly, prancing around on my toes, slashing and stabbing at it's hands and forearms whenever it was stupid enough to reach towards me.

Adrenaline was coursing pleasantly through my veins. I had the strangest urge to throw my head back and laugh. So I did, which got me strange looks (I could feel them).

The oni was getting smarter. It no longer left gaping holes in it's guard for me to dance through and stab it with. I slowed my crazy-girl prancing and circled it, urging my adrenaline-high brain to remember battle tactic lessons it had been through.

Inspiration flickered through my mind. I stopped to a stand-still and straightened out, releasing Shinko and Kibo back into their sheathes. I summoned my purple whip thingy and ran forward, like I was going to use that instead.

My plan worked. The oni seized the opportunity and grabbed me with a snarl of triumph. I let out an unintentional 'oomph' at the sudden rough contact. I 'struggled' while it raised me towards its opening maw. Foul breath perfumed the air around me.

"Oh gross," I muttered as I was deposited in its mouth - believe me, the struggle not to be put in there was real.

With another flick and snap I had Shinko and Kibo out and ready.

First Shinko went down through the tongue and lower jaw, then Kibo went up through the roof of the mouth, and - hopefully - into the brain.

The oni froze, and then slowly began to fall backwards. I yelped and grabbed onto Kibo's hilt for dear life. I was not falling down that nasty ass, stinky throat hole!

From what I could hear the others were wrapping their battles up successfully, too. I jumped up and pulled Shinko out of Stinky's brain, earning myself a spray of brain juice to the face. Lovely. My day has just been made. Not.

No matter how or where I pushed, Stinky's face would just not reopen. I was starting to freak out a little. I did not want to turn this already oh-so-charming cadaver into a Phoenix condo. Yeah, not happening.

I sat back on Kibo's blade, and sighed. Gulping in a lung full of oni breath, I yelled as loud as Phoenixly possible. "I need a little help in here!"

I heard muffled voices nearing. "Was that Phoenix?" No, it was Spongebob.

"Where is she?" Sango wondered.

"In a place where she really does not want to be sitting! Get me outta here!" I screamed.

I heard a deep chuckle sound, before there was a huge gaping hole above. I sprang out of there like it was a Justin Bieber concert. "FRESH AIR!" I bellowed, refilling my lungs with the suddenly much sweeter air. I plopped face first on the ground and inhaled as deeply as I could. Laughs sounded above and around me.

Shippo trotted up to me and ran a finger through the brain sludge on my face. He wrinkled his nose. "You smell bad."

"Thanks, Shippo. I know." I muttered sarcastically, poking his tummy to make him laugh.

A hand gripped my upper arm, lifting me easily to set me on my feet. "You did well, little bird." Inutaisho praised me. I blushed and smiled, happy at the praise. My first battle, and I didn't need to be rescued. Gah. I felt like happy dancing.

I sought out Inuyasha's eyes, not quite knowing what to expect in them. He was standing off behind everyone, regarding me silently. I couldn't quite identify the emotion hidden in his eyes, but it wasn't negative, so I smiled at him. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards slightly, and he nodded.

"Combat suits you, Lady Phoenix." Miroku announced, dropping an arm around my shoulders, hand safely curled on my slightly protruding shoulder bone. I smiled up at him.

"Why do you say that, Miroku?" I asked, head cocking to the side.

He laughed in his weird Miroku-ish way. "Bloodlust makes your unique set of eyes twinkle in the most alluring way, and with the graceful way you move! Ah! Truly magnificent!" His fingers were slowly creeping down.

I swatted them off and glared at him. "Flattery will get you nowhere, lech." Everybody laughed at that.

"Seriously though, Phoenix, you were magnificent! It reminded me of Sesshomaru, the look on your face. You were happy to be out there. You're always beautiful, but geez, you were gorgeous. It was like, wow." Kagome gushed, throwing her arms around me in an exuberant hug. "Oh, nice job, too." She added, giggling, which made me start to giggle, then we pulled an already giggling Sango into our little girl huddle. It didn't last long though, before they both pulled away with wrinkled noses.

"Yeah, you stink. Let's find a hot spring." Kagome stated.

Sango nodded her head in agreement. "What is this stuff anyway?" She questioned, wiping a finger down my face.

I smirked. "Brain juice." They both made equally loud sounds of disgust and started wiping their hands on the grass, checking to make sure none was on them. I laughed and agreed that yes, I did need a bath.

Through all this Inuyasha remained silent, just watching me. I kept sneaking glances at him through the corners of my eyes. Why was he being so quiet?

"So, why would battle make me extra pretty?" I wondered out loud.

Inutaisho answered me. "It is the bloodlust that makes it so. Nothing actually happens to your appearance. But what makes one more beautiful than radiant joy? And what makes one more joyous than the slaughter of one's enemies? Make all the faces you will, little bird. What you are shall remain what you are, and your nature shall remain your nature." He ended sternly.

I stuck my tongue out at him and waved a hand dismissively. "It's just the way you phrase things, Papa Dog." I cracked a smile at the nickname. I just amuse myself sometimes.

He rolled his eyes and started walking away, presumably in the direction we had been going before our brief liaison with violence. "There is a deep and slow-moving river just north of us, we shall be upon it in no time." He called over his shoulder. We followed.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

The river was cool, and as Inutaisho had said, deep. I coated my hair with shampoo and swam down through it's surprisingly clear depths, scrubbing furiously at my scalp. The water had already done its job in clearing my face of nasty oni sludge.

A glint from the riverbed caught my eye. I ducked out of the cloud of shampoo bubbles floating around my face and swam down to it. It was a delicate silver chain, buried in the sand and pebbles. I stretched a hand out, surprised to find the metal pleasantly warm compared to the cool river surrounding us.

A small tug revealed it actually was buried, and a bit of digging revealed a small, round orb attached to the chain. The rest of my air escaped me, tiny jellyfish-like bubbles rushing towards the surface.

It was beautiful. Lovely. Entrancing. There were no other words to describe it.

It was clear, made out of crystal like material, but I wasn't gazing through it in the traditional sense, rather _through_ it, and into what appeared to be the night sky. But they weren't our constellations. They were brighter, and larger, and they shone in golds, yellows, bright whites, subtle blues, and reds.

There was one star in particular that shone brighter than the others, it was reddish-bronze, and it was almost like it was pulsing.

I cradled it carefully in one hand, and cleared sand off of a conveniently buried stone large enough for me to sit on without sand getting all up where sand was not supposed to be.

So I sat there, one hand cradling this wonderful little bauble, the other stroking the skin of my throat where my unknowing shard of the jewel had once hung. I never realized how much I had missed the comforting weight around my neck.

I don't know how long I sat there, but suddenly I had an overwhelming urge to clasp the chain around my neck and claim this trinket as mine. I tried to resist - the last time I consorted with little balls I had fallen into a ginormous corpse - but for some reason or another, I couldn't.

My fingers clasped the chain around my neck just as another set of fingers closed around my upper arm, tugging me up towards the surface.

I came up hissing and spitting and cursing. I sprang from the water and grabbed a towel, wrapping and securing it around myself before whirling around. "What the fuck is your problem, Inuyasha? Has it somehow escaped your notice that I am immortal, and therefore, able to breathe underwater?! I recall going through this once before!" I yelled, pretty peeved off.

He blushed and looked contrite for a moment before his hardheadedness kicked in and his expression turned angry. "What's my problem? What's your fucking problem? Or did it slip your notice that while you can be a fish for a couple hours, some of us might worry about you? Kami Phoenix, you almost had Kagome and Sango in hysterics!" He swept an arm toward them.

They were both huddled by a nearby tree, slightly shivering, eyes red rimmed. I immediately felt awful.

"I'm sorry guys, I didn't realize. I was... distracted." I apologized, fingering the orb now safely fastened around my neck. There, it would stay. I felt an overpowering sense of protectiveness for it, and I was damn sure going to figure out what the hell it was.

Of course, being friends with the people I am friends with, they all noticed the motion and their eyes zeroed in on my throat. I swallowed a little nervously, and gripped the orb, lightly encompassing it in my small hand.

"That's pretty, Phoenix!" Kagome exclaimed, coming closer to me. She reached out a hand to brush her fingers along the orb. It took a lot of self control not to growl at her and move away.

But this is Kagome we're talking about here, she noticed my discomfort and withdrew her hand as fast as she had presented it. "Where did you find it?" She asked, removing herself from my personal space.

"I'll tell you as soon as Inuyasha leaves." I stated. Of course he started blustering and griping at that, so I had to clarify, "Inuyasha, I am butt ass naked under this towel. You can stay within hearing range if you like, but no matter how much I like kissing you, you cannot see me naked right yet." I explained, no room for argument in my tone.

He blushed a surprisingly vibrant red, muttering something under his breath as he retreated back into the forest.

An equally vibrant blush lit up my cheeks when I realized he had probably seen me naked on the swim down to me and in the seconds before I had grabbed my towel. Great. I'm glad I'm not fat or deformed. Wow, that was shallow, Phoenix...

I was snapped out of my internal babbling by Sango. She was standing in front of me, her eyes all wide and watching me, her finger still hovering over my forehead where she had just poked me. "Are you okay in there?" She asked, using a modern phrase she had heard Kagome and I use many times before.

"Yes." I answered with a laugh, hurrying to dress myself. "I found this at the bottom of the river. It was buried in the sand. I think it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Look at it." I ordered, summoning them closer as I pulled my shirt over my head.

"Are those stars?" Kagome asked, practically pressing her eye against to get a better look. I laughed and nodded.

Sango joined me in my mirth. "It's a little like you're holding a tiny, little world, Phoenix.

Right there in the palm of your hand." She said, gesturing towards my fingers (now curled a bit protectively around it).

The thought of a whole other world sitting in the palm of my hand thrust me into a strangely thoughtful state of mind. "Yeah," I murmured in agreement, eyes gazing at some far off place. "A tiny, little... world. Right in my... hands..." I trailed off and gathered my stuff, and started heading back to camp, ignoring the looks I got from Kagome and Sango, and the look they shared. Also ignoring Inuyasha when he fell into step beside me, ignoring the questions he fired my way, and how he called me crazy when I just curled up in a particularly soft patch of grass near the fire, and closed my eyes to sleep.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

**Oh my! What has Phoenix found? And no, she's not like hypnotized or whatever. She's just in Phoenix-world, population - 1. I sure do hope this chapter is to your liking, because it took me awhile to get back into my writing mojo. Be grateful and not to violent! Rape the review button! Loves!**

**_This chapter has been edited. I started this story in 2010 and I wasn't as good a writer or grammar Nazi I am now. I didn't want to change the way things happened, even though some of it could be better... Anywhore, edited, but the same. Enjoy!_**

**Shadow**


	11. The Morning Star & Surprise Attacks

**Chapter 11! Let's see what happens now! So Phoenix has found this little orby thing, what is it? Well, we shall see, shan't we? Now I expect this chapter to be published much sooner than the last was, and it to be a bit longer if not a lot. Progress! Read on, and review god dammit! (This was supposed to be bolded like usual, but my computer was being a GAY ASSHOLE BITCH SLUT SKANKY WHORE BARBIEDOLL, and I'll try to fix that:))**

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

At least they let me sleep for a little while, until the questions could just not be contained any longer.

"Whaaat?" I whined as I sat up.

Questions immediately berated me from almost every angle. "Ah!" I shouted, clapping my hands over my ringing ears. "Not used to super-hearing here! Owwww!" I whined again, glaring at everyone.

Inuyasha sat beside me and tugged a hand away from my ear, a slightly concerned look on his face. I smiled at him and crawled over onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his nose in my hair, inhaling deeply before giving me his little half grin. "Hi Yasha. Since I didn't hear your voice in the ear-raping I just received, I'll answer your questions first." I told him with a smile, turning it into my best death glare at the others.

They rolled their eyes and all took seats, Kagome mirroring me and sitting in Sesshomaru's lap, Shippo in her lap and Rin curled into Sesshomaru's side, Sango a safe distant from a bummed Miroku, and Inutaisho off to the side. I took a deep breath to collect myself, then smiled up at Inuyasha again. "Okay, shoot."

He dove right in. "What is this?" He asked, flicking it with a claw. A surprisingly high and clear note sounded from it.

I cupped it again gently in my hands and shrugged. "I don't know. I found it buried in the bottom of the river. It was so pretty, and I felt this urge to put it on and protect it, and I tried to resist because of what happened last time I touched a little ball thingy, but

I just couldn't for some reason. But it hasn't killed me, or done anything at all really, so before you all start to scold me for wearing some strange piece of jewelry, take that into mind." I finished with a gush.

"Can I see it?" He asked next.

I bit my lip, confused by my reluctancy. I uncurled my fingers and looked from the orb to Inuyasha's face and back again. Geez, it was just Inuyasha. What was wrong with me?

The chain it was on was rather long, causing the orb to hang just above my breasts. With another uncurling of my fingers, I held it up for Inuyasha's examination.

He picked it up with his claws, holding it up to eye level, eyes widening slightly when he got a real look at it's interior. He allowed it to roll down his fingers to the flat of his palm, watching it as it went. "This," He started to say, but paused for some reason. "Is strange." He finally finished, setting it back in my waiting fingers. I let out a breath I hadn't known I had been holding. Whatever this little ball was, it sure had me wrapped around it's metaphorical fingers.

That seemed to be the end of Inuyasha's questions, because he looked to his father to continue. Inutaisho got up and crouched in front of me, his hand held out to me in askance. He must have sensed my protectiveness over it. I nodded and held it out to him (though it was still safely secured around my neck so it didn't go far). " I think," He began. "I know what this is, but it's hard to confirm with my memories." He mused, eyes locked on it, watching the constellations within.

My eyes lit up and an involuntary gasp escaped me as a star shot across the space inside and out of sight. "They really are stars!" I burst out, snatching it away from Inutaisho and cupping it in my palms, eyes greedily searching for any other movement. Inutaisho huffed at me, causing me to smile apologetically at him. "Of course they're really stars, little bird. These are the constellations the kami gaze upon, I do believe." At that I could feel my face go into a pretty good imitation of a fish.

"Really? That's possible?" Kagome asked, crawling over to sit closer to us. "I know you have some odd protectiveness over this little ball, but can I see it, please?" Kagome asked, looking me in the eye. Bless her, she knew how to set me at ease. I nodded with a small smile, ignoring the small twinge of unease that went through my torso when her fingers closed around it.

Shippo's face appeared over one of her shoulder's and Rin's eyes just peeked over the edge of the other, both filled with curiosity. I chuckled and told them they were allowed to look, too.

"I just can't believe how pretty it is," Kagome murmured, handing it back to me.

"Me either." I murmured back in agreement. I looked up into Inutaisho's face. "Why would I feel so protective of it, though?" He shrugged, perplexed.

_"Allow me to explain."_ A clear, feminine voice sounded through my mind.

I let out a yelp of surprise and clutched my head. "What the-? Who are you? Why are you in my head?!" I asked, seriously freaked out.

A beautiful, chime-filled laugh rang through my head. _"Calm yourself, little immortal. You are worrying your friends. Take ahold of the Akenomyosei."_

'The Morning Star?' That's a little difficult.' I muttered back to her (the voice was obviously female), in my mind.

She laughed again. _"The Akenomyosei is the sphere hanging around your neck. I knew you would come across my river, so I allowed it to be found. Now grasp it."_ I did as instructed. _"Good, now close your eyes and concentrate. Allow me to merge slightly with you, so I am able to leave my sphere and appear before you."_ I took a deep breath, and did as I was told - without any fuss, for once.

The Akenomyosei steadily grew almost uncomfortably warm between my palms. As it grew warmer, it began to glow in the same beautiful reddish-bronze as the pulsing star, that seemed as if it was growing bigger. I watched, fascinated.

Arms snaked around my waist and a set of large, tan hands encircled my wrists lightly.

Inuyasha settled his chin on my shoulder, lips right beside my ear. "What are you doing?" He asked, breath ghosting across my flesh and giving me goosebumps. I struggled to suppress my shiver, choosing to ignore Inuyasha's smirk of satisfaction.

"You'll see." I finally answered him cryptically, just as the Akenomyosei flared brightly enough to cause everyone to cover their eyes. I felt a strange sensation in the back of my mind and center of my chest, before the light kinda just burst out of the sphere to hover in the air above us. The gang immediately scattered to give the whatever-it-was (although I had a sneaking suspicion) enough room to land between us. I suspect

Sesshomaru gave that order - you know, surround it, just in case - but I was to busy watching the star (because I swear that's what it was) float slowing towards the ground.

When it finally touched the tips of the grass, the light faded to that of a faint glow, surrounding the most beautiful woman I swear I have ever seen.

She was magnificent. Her skin was paler than mine, and completely smooth and blemish free. Her eyes, waist-length hair, and nails were all the same beautiful shade of bronze as her star had been. Hell, even her lips were that color. She wore what appeared to be a yukata, but it was made out of the lightest, blackest material I've ever seen. It's like it was made out of the night sky. It probably was.

"So we meet, face-to-face, little immortal." She greeted, a soft smile lighting up her face, almost making me forget to breathe (and no, Phoenix does not swing that way. She simply knows when to appreciate beauty). And what is with people calling me little? Seriously.

"Hello." I greeted her in return. "My name's Phoenix, what's your's?" I asked out of courtesy, holding my hand out for her to shake. (Inuyasha had abandoned my wrists to encircle me completely in the protection of his arms.)

She took my hand into hers, surprising me by having a hand almost as small as mine. "I have known many names, but you may call me Ama."

I smiled at her. "Hello, Ama. So why do I feel a freakish need to protect this little ball?" I asked, holding it up and getting straight to the point.

Ama threw her head back and laughed, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into a surprisingly tight embrace. You know the kind, when you haven't seen someone in so long a time, when you see them you just grab them and hold on tight? It was like that, and it was baffling. And the strangest thing? I didn't feel like jumping back and punching her. I felt perfectly fine right there with her. "You feel the same need to protect the Akenomyosei that I feel to protect you, my little immortal. I am the patron for your particular bloodline of immortals."

That clicked in my mind. I remembered lessons about this when Sesshy and I were children. For an immortal to become an immortal they needed to be blessed sort of, or granted immortality by a god or goddess. Then, in a way, they became that god or goddesses' children.

I stared at Ama in the natural wide-eyed wonder that I was feeling. "You mean...? You-? Really?"

She smiled her perfect smile at me. "Yes, it was I who granted you immortality when your parents presented you to me as a child."

"What about my older brother? Did you grant him immortality?" I questioned.

Her beautiful face darkened. "No. I do not give such gifts to those with evil in their hearts. He was gifted by another."

I think my mind took a little vacation after that, because all I remember is Inuyasha pulling me back into his lap, and a conversation going on around me, but I was a little in shock, and a little in awe of the being sitting before me. And hey, Phoenix's mind can only take so much in such a period of time. With my dreams the past couple nights, and the memories that snuck up and punched me in the brain every so often, it was just way to much information for me. I was still stuck in human tendencies. And I mean, come on!

If someone as gorgeous and - and otherwordly - as Ama showed up and hugged you, and was pretty much saying she was your like, surrogate mother, you would need a little break to process things, too. And I have never claimed to be the best at taking new information. So there.

Rolling over as best as I could, I snuggled up into Inuyasha, burying my face in his neck and inhaling deeply, taking in as much of his scent as I could. His scent was comforting, trees and fresh air.

The others continued to talk around us, but I just ignored them, nuzzling myself further into Yasha. Mmm, he was warm. I sucked in another lungful of his scent, curling my fingers into the front of his haori. I parted my lips slightly to let my breath ghost across his skin and give him goosebumps. Of course, he was a big, bad, inu hanyou, so he didn't shiver like I would have. Well, that wouldn't do. Not at all. I took a moment to gather my courage, before placing a kiss on Yasha's collarbone. Resting my cheek on his shoulder, I glanced up at him through my eyelashes, pleased to see a barely-there blush residing on his cheekbones.

I repositioned again, draping my legs over the side of Yasha's lap, and slipping my free arm around his back to grip his haori there. My fingers brushed across a patch of skin lightly, surprising me. An evil thought popped into my mind. Inuyasha was part demon.

Demon's are more sensitive to senses than humans. Like the sense of touch, so to speak.

I ran my fingertips over the spot, rubbing in circular motions. Yasha stiffened a bit at first, before he realized it was me, and that it felt good. I continued to rub his back, inching higher and higher into his haori, until my hand was completely covered, then moving my hand back down until my fingers brushed his hakama. By this point

Inuyasha was practically purring.

Scraping my claws lightly across the slightly more sensitive skin of his lower back, I wriggled slightly, pulling myself closer to him. Phoenix was feeling naughty, what can I say? And I wanted Inuyasha. Badly. Geez, I'll worry about this episode later...

Yasha shifted his hold on me then, an arm around my back to grip my hip (and that grip was getting tighter with every pass of my hand), and the other resting along my legs, hand resting ever so innocently on my thigh. He seemed to be catching on to what I was doing, because he started slowing scraping his claws lightly along the way more sensitive skin of my thigh. Humph. That won't do. Especially considering I had sensitiveness to stuff now too. Damn.

I made my fingers 'walk' up Inuyasha's chest, to the point where his haori met, exposing his skin. I rubbed the skin there too, nuzzling my face back into his neck, placing light kisses here and there. There was just a deep-seated ache filling me, demanding physical contact. I think it was some sort of protective instinct to help my mind shut the hell up for awhile. Not that I cared, really, as long as Inuyasha didn't push me away I was just fine, thank you very much.

And he didn't. Push me away, that is. He continued driving me nuts with his claws on my skin, while I continued to drive him nuts with mine. I was actually starting to feel evidence against my hip of just how crazy I was driving him. At that moment I was glad my face was buried in his neck because, boy, did my face heat up.

Sooner than I had expected Ama was murmuring her goodbyes. I stopped molesting Inuyasha's neck long enough to say goodbye. "I will see you again, won't I?" I asked quietly, fearing rejection.

She tapped the tip of a nail against the Akenomyosei. "You know where to find me." And then she was just gone. No cool light-beaming or anything. Just vanished.

Of course, Inutaisho, Sesshomaru and the others immediately dived into a discussion about what had just happened. Me? I stood, excused Inuyasha and myself and hauled ass into the forest. When we were a good distance away, I pretty much jumped him. My perverted friends back in the States would have been proud. They always thought I was some sort of innocent. If they could see me now...

Inuyasha being Inuyasha, didn't really question me, at first. Nope, he just backed me into a tree and tangled his fingers in the hair at the nape of my neck. I wrapped my arms around him in kind, slipping my hands back into the back of his haori, just clutching at his skin, trying to pull him closer. Geez, maybe I should be worried about my behavior...

Maybe later. I pulled my hands out of his haori and pushed slightly on his chest. He released his hold on me and looked down at me questioningly. "Catch me if you can!"

And then I was off. Of course, since I was a full immortal and Inuyasha was a half demon, I didn't run as fast as I could or he never would have caught me. And believe me, I wanted him to catch me.

He did, of course, after about five minutes of me darting through and around trees, shrieking in delight every time he came close. He jumped at me from behind, arms circling my waist easily, hurriedly flipping me to face his chest and somehow spinning us around so when we finally hit the ground he was underneath me instead of the other way around. I grinned down at him, "Hello, handsome. Sure took you long enough."

He scowled and growled playfully at me, flipping us over yet again so that he was on top. "Mouthy wench." He muttered before sealing his lips to mine. I sighed happily into the kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck.

I cannot tell you how long we lay there kissing heatedly, and I can't tell you how my shirt got torn, or when one of Inuyasha's fangs accidentally nicked my lip, and instead of stopping, he just muttered sorry before sucking my bottom lip between his and licking the wound. But I can tell you how unbelievably erotic that turned out to be, and how - I am slightly unashamed to say - it got an honest-to-God moan out of me. Damn, I'm turning into a kinky s.o.b. I can also tell you that Inuyasha was enjoying our little moment as much as I was (I could feel it on my hip). And I can definitely tell you how fire-hot red my face got when Shippo appeared out of nowhere and pounced on Inuyasha, asking why he was attached to my face.

I snatched Shippo from Yasha before he could do any damage to the poor kid. "Hey Shippo, where did you come from?" I asked, smiling at him to let him know that despite Inuyasha's scowl he wasn't in trouble.

"Mama sent me to find you guys! She told me, 'Shippo, you go find your Aunty Phoenix and that Inuyasha.' So I did. I would have made Kirara do it if I had known you guys would be kissing!" He scrunched his face up in disgust. Oh, I was going to kill Kagome.

While I sat there contemplating ways to get Kagome back without pissing Sesshy off majorly, Inuyasha and Shippo got into a very heated sort of face-war. They were both sticking their tongues out at the other and acting like four year olds.

I rolled my eyes and cuffed them both over the head (lightly, in Shippo's case). "Well then, let's get back to camp." I ordered, shifting Shippo up onto my shoulder. Intertwining my fingers with Yasha's, we took off running.

We made it back to the others in no time. I had made sure while I was running from Inuyasha last night to go sideways from where we were camped, rather than farther away.

Kagome was smirking at me rather smugly from her safe spot tucked into Sesshomaru's side. I scowled at her and stuck my tongue. "Just you wait, Kagome. I'll get you back." She laughed and stuck her tongue out right back at me. Brat.

Sango and Miroku were both rather amused by our behavior. Miroku went as far as to point my disheveled-ness, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. I flipped him the bird and climbed into Inuyasha's lap, crossed my arms, and proceeded to pout.

"You have an interesting friend, little bird." Taisho commented to me after awhile. I looked up from the tree I had been staring at, to see he, himself was staring rather fixedly into the flames of our dwindling fire.

I shrugged, "You know me, Papa Dog. I'm just so lovable. People can't help themselves." I grinned cheekily at him when he glanced up long enough to roll his eyes at me.

"That much has appeared to be true, in the case of my son, anyway." He rumbled, eyes flickering across my face and disheveled hair. I stuck my tongue out at him and tried to calm down my furiously blushing face.

"Keh." Inuyasha muttered at his father, his cheeks both slightly pink too. "So? What are we waiting for? Let's go! The shards aren't going to find themselves." He griped as he stood up.

I rolled my eyes and stood up, rubbing a hand subconsciously over the tender flesh of my neck. I was positive Inuyasha had left some sort of mark there, and my skin didn't tingle like it did when my super-healing was kicking in. Hmm, what did that silly hanyou do to me? And how, exactly, was I going to get back at him? I'd just have to give him a hickey too. It was strange how that thought pleased me, on some deep sort of level. I think my instincts are finally surfacing. At least I'm not a freak who doesn't have any.. Phew! Relief.

There was some grumbling, but eventually camp was all packed and everybody was ready to set off in whatever direction Kagome directed us. I scrambled onto Yasha's back, locking my ankles around his waist and just dangling my arms across his chest, chin resting atop his head. His ears tickled my cheeks occasionally. "You're comfy, Yasha." I murmured as we set off north. He just snorted and ran a claw across the bottom of my foot, making me giggle.

"How many shards are there, do you think, Kagome?" I asked after an hour or so.

Nobody was really talkative today it seemed. My chin was now on Yasha's shoulder, cradled in the crook of his neck, cheek along the bone. Our hair mixed together down his front, creating a pretty display of silver and gold. If only I had silver eyes, then we would match in a way! But I don't, so we don't. *Mental sigh*.

Kagome's brows knitted together for a moment in concentration. She drifted closer to Yasha and I to talk to me easier, Sesshomaru unconsciously following after her a minute later. "It feels like three," She answered, a small frown creasing her forehead. "But there could be four. They're almost out of my range to sense them." While I had been working with Taisho on my skills, Kagome had been working with Miroku and Sesshomaru on hers. She could sense shards from over 70 miles away now, and her powers were growing pretty fast. She practiced her archery when I practiced my swordsmanship. We were both improving exponentially.

I smiled reassuringly at her. "You're doing great, Kagome. There's a big difference between the you I know now, and the you I first met when I fell down your well. Any one of us could tell you that." Sango voiced her agreement with me, abandoning Miroku to walk beside Kagome. I dropped off Inuyasha's back and went to Kagome's other side, linking arms with her, causing her to link arms with Sango.

We spent the rest of the day chatting idly as we walked, occasionally pulling one of the guys into our conversations. We talked about everything and nothing, just bonding really. When we set camp up that night Yash asked Kagome if she could still sense the shards, and if they had moved. She frowned again. "No, they haven't really moved all day. They're in the same general position as they were when we first started off this morning." She told him. "It's kind of odd. I can sense that they're not super tainted like they usually are when a demon has them. It's just odd."

"Maybe humans hold them, and are not able to purify them thoroughly like you can, Lady Kagome." Miroku suggested after a moment. "I know of a monastery in these parts, perhaps they are there."

"Perhaps." Kagome agreed, expression still troubled.

"Hey, don't worry so much," I admonished, digging an elbow softly into her side. "We can handle it. Wanna spar?" Kagome and I had never really practiced with one another before, only with the others. We were both capable of holding our own in a fight now, winning against the others just as much as they won against us, so it would be fun and educational to spar with one another.

She contemplated it for a moment, before nodding and smiling at me. "Sure! But be prepared to get your butt whooped!" She teased.

I stuck my tongue out at her. "Yeah, right."

After ten minutes of arguing with the others about if we were sure, and if we were ready enough to do this, and I could seriously hurt Kagome, and Kagome could seriously hurt me, and two 'sits' for Inuyasha, we left the young ones with Jaken, Ah Un and Kirara and to use a larger clearing not far from our camp between the trees.

Finally we were ready, standing about fifteen feet apart facing each other. The others were in between the trees, at a safe distance to watch, and duck behind the trees incase one of our attacks went amiss.

"Ready when you are." Kagome called to me, an arrow held between her fingers, bowstring taut.

With barely a thought Shinko and Kibo glided smoothly into my awaiting palms. Every single thing Taisho or Sesshomaru or Miroku had ever said about battling a holy person was flying through my mind at warp speed. While Kagome was aiming for me, and she was not trying to purify me, and while I was not a demon and couldn't be purified, an arrow to the shoulder or stomach or anywhere would hurt like a bitch and probably zap me a bit.

While I was standing there contemplating the best way to go about attacking her, Kagome took the initiative and attacked me first anyway.

The arrow seemed to come out of nowhere, bright pink with Kagome's powers. I barely thought about it before my right arms flicked up and knocked the arrow off course into the trees, ignoring Inuyasha's 'HEY!'.

The next few minutes went by like this; Kagome would fire a seemingly endless supply of arrows at me that I would either dodge, or knock off course, all the while trying to get close enough to her to make her use the sword that was hanging from her hip (we got it for her from a village we passed through), and her never standing still long enough for that to happen. I cursed the day Sesshomaru taught her to shoot on the fly like that.

Then, it happened. I was frustrated and I swung Shinko hard at Kagome (even though she was about twenty feet away), and green lightning just kinda shot out of the tip of my sword, which was now glowing. There was a bit of an OSM (oh shit moment), when Kagome was just as shocked as me and was just standing in its path, mouth hanging open.

There were several shouts of her name, and instructions being called out, but if it hadn't been for Sesshomaru intervening, we would have had fried Kagome and severely depressed everyone else.

"I think," I said as my legs kinda gave out beneath me and I sunk down onto the grass. "I win."

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

**Well, what was that? Totosai said nothing of special attacks, that sneaky old toad. Let's hope Kagome's not mad at Phoenix for almost killing her. I'm not really one for super long author's notes much anymore, so ta ta!**

**Shadow**

**_ This chapter has been edited. I started this story in 2010 and I wasn't as good a writer or grammar Nazi I am now. I didn't want to change the way things happened, even though some of it could be better... Anywhore, edited, but the same. Enjoy!_**

**Shadow**


	12. Apologies & Enemies

**Okay, so new chapter. Phoenix's sword has special attacks? Who knew! Totosai for sure ;) Sorry this was so long in coming, I recently became obsessed with an old TV show, Firefly, and it's companion movie (BECAUSE THIS AMAZINGLY AMAZING AND AWESOME SHOW WAS DISCONTINUED) Serenity, and had to watch them all in as little time I could manage. And I'm almost enrolled in an online school, so I'll have to be doing that occasionally.. Right now I wouldn't say that inspiration has struck, exactly, but I do have a freshly brewed batch of coffee, 30 Seconds to Mars playing, and a few hours of the computer all to myself, so here goes! *Sigh* I do love you all, what little of you there are! Smooches!**

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

"I'm reeeeeaally sorry, Kagome!" I wailed pitifully for about the twenty-third time. After the shock of realizing I had my own special attack like every one else had worn off, I realized that without Sesshomaru's intervention, I would have unintentionally killed Kagome. And yeah, that thought freaked me out a little, not to mention made me a little weepy and remorseful.

Kagome was crouched on the ground in front of me and Inuyasha (it shouldn't surprise you that I was in his lap, it was my spot), holding my hand in hers and trying to comfort me. "Really, Phoenix. It's okay. You didn't know that that was going to happen anymore than any of us did." That, of course, only made me feel worse for some reason. Geez, Phoenix, get a grip.

I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, concentrating on the soothing circles she was rubbing over the back of my hand, and Inuyasha's claws gently - and absentmindedly, I might add, since he was staring off into space - scraping over my back. "I know," I admitted. "It just freaks me out that, had Sesshomaru not been there, you wouldn't be here right now."

She didn't argue with that, because we had all seen the considerable damage done to the forest by my lightning attack. It looked as if fire had rained down from the sky, for roughly a mile, Sesshomaru had informed us after going to investigate. He looked at me with a bit more respect, I had become a formidable opponent now.

"But he was there, and Kagome's still here, and you have a pretty intimidating attack of your own now, just like the rest of us." Sango piped up from across camp. "Next time we cross paths with him, you can ask Totosai about it. Do you remember how you did it?" She questioned as she approached.

"Not really, I was frustrated, not really concentrating. It just happened." I delved into my mind and reviewed the moments leading up to the lightning shooting out of sword.

It was something Inutaisho had taught me to do, go through my memories like I was watching a movie. It gave me a headache most of the time, so I didn't do it a whole lot. But this time it was necessary, so I could work out how to do it again(my freaky green lightning, for you ignorant ones).

Kagome and Sango seemed to realize what I was doing after a few moments of my silence, and left me to Inuyasha, going off to sit by themselves and whisper excitedly about my new attack and how it might affect our fight for the jewel.

At first, my memory of the fight was unyielding. I didn't notice a thing out of place, anything to indicate that the lightning was coming. After a few minutes of frustration I realized I might be searching in the wrong places. Maybe my bracelets were more than just sheathes.

On that thought, I reviewed the memory one more time, this time concentrating on my wrists throughout the fight. As I got more and more frustrated, they began to glow brighter and brighter. Not like some blinding light, just like little LED lights had been installed under the stones. They were the brightest when the lightning erupted from my sword. The glow faded faster than it had started, and the stones were completely dormant again by the time I had sunk onto the grass.

When I emerged from my head, I was frowning. Inuyasha was still in La La Land, so he didn't object or follow when I got up and walked over to his father and half brother, who were in their own quiet little conversation. They both fixed me with eerily alike golden stares of expectation when I was standing in front of them. Before I brought up my pseudo-discovery, there was something I had to say to Sesshomaru.

An old demon etiquette lesson was nagging me from the back of my mind. I assumed the most unthreatening position I could manage and tilted my head up, not only to look at Sesshomaru, but also baring my throat to him in a sign of submission. "I would like to formally apologize for almost fatally harming this Sesshomaru's intended mate, and beg his forgiveness." I announced softly, my eyes on his chin the entire time. I didn't usually abide by the not-looking-an-alpha-in-the-eyes dog etiquette, but in this instance it let him know my apology was sincere.

Of course, this shocked everyone, but they didn't say anything, just awaited Sesshomaru's reaction. He didn't say anything for a moment, before lifting my chin up to look him in the eye with one clawed fingertip. He held my gaze for a moment, a sign in itself that my apology was accepted, but also a sign that he held me on a level near himself, maybe not an equal, but close. Inuyoukai didn't initiate eye contact with others often, they would hold your eyes if you initiated it, but they didn't often. It was considered an honor when they did. I didn't entirely understand the concept, but I did know the significance of this moment.

After another nearly paralyzingly awkward moment, Sesshomaru gave me a curt nod and released my chin. "Forgiven."

The softly uttered word sent relief tingling through all my limbs, making me beam brightly back at him. "Thanks Sesshy!" I exclaimed, tackling him in a very stiff, one-sided hug. At least he didn't push me away. I frowned stubbornly up at him. "I'm not letting go until you hug back." And because I was all immortal-ified I could hold my side of that threat. I was equally as strong as the demons here, and it would be easier to get me off by just complying. I could hear Kagome and Sango giggling in the background, betting on how long it would take Sesshomaru to get me off. Inuyasha had returned from a million miles away and was grumbling under his breath about how I 'was going to stink like the fucking ice bastard now'.

I ignored them all and continued to stare up at Sesshomaru, mimicking his expression and raising an eyebrow at him. We had been in this same position many times as children, but then he wasn't all icy and emotionless, he didn't hug me because I was a little girl and he was a little boy and I was obviously contagious with girl cooties.

It seemed like we had stood there for an hour before I felt his hand settle lightly on my back, lightly pressing me to him before it was gone as fast as it had been there. I squeezed him tightly for another moment before releasing him - to his relief. I smiled at him. "Maybe you did keep your promise after all." And walked away.

Inutaisho stopped me before I got to Inuyasha. "What was your theory about your attack, little bird?" He asked without hesitation.

"Well, when I went over the memory of the fight a couple times like you taught me to, I noticed that the stones of my bracelets started glowing brighter as I got more frustrated. They were the brightest when the lightning came. But not very bright in the grand scheme of things, either. That's why they were easily overlooked. When I went into shocked they stopped glowing completely. I think they're tied somehow to my emotions."

He looked contemplative. "That is a very real possibility. You had to activate the bracelets with your blood, did you not?" I nodded. "Then we shall assume your theory is correct, until proven otherwise." As he turned to walk away, he seemed to remember something else. "There is no doubt in my mind that Naraku has already caught wind of this new powerful attack you now possess. I know you are powerful enough to protect yourself now, but just as Kagome and Sango do, stay close to the group. He is likely to try and kidnap you again."

I pouted slightly because it was expected of me, but I secretly agreed with his observation. Naraku was fuckin' scary, I ain't gonna lie. And Kagome had been kidnapped by him before, and everyone knew how powerful she was. She could be a potential target too. I got nods of agreement all around when I voiced my opinion out loud.

Kagome and I were made to agree not to leave without at least two others from the gang with us, which slightly irked both of us, because the children didn't count, and who else were we going to take to the hot springs with us? I was to tired to argue that out at the moment, so I left those arrangements to Kagome and walked back over to my favorite hanyou.

Inuyasha pulled me into his lap not a moment after my butt hit the ground. He pulled my back into his chest and locked arms around my waist, tucking his chin on top of my head. Now you might be all like 'Awww he missed her in that short amount of time! *fangirl squeal*' No. Just no. The jealous bastard was erasing Sesshomaru's scent with his own. I knew it was partly an instinct thing though, so I didn't give him shit about it like I might have before. I just silently rolled my eyes (is there even a loud way to roll your eyes?), and snuggled into him, finally letting my exhaustion settle into my mind like it had been trying for awhile now.

No, I didn't fall asleep, I just kind of sat there, eyes half-lidded, gazing into the fire. Kind of like you see a dog do, after a long day on the trail. I barely noticed when Inuyasha shifted his hold on me and jumped into a tree, his favorite place to perch for the night.

Snuggling closer to his chest for warmth, I smiled a bit sleepily up at him. "Hey."

He snorted quietly. "Hey." He replied as I wrapped my arms up around his neck.

"So, what were your thoughts on my surprise attack?" I asked around a large yawn. "You haven't really said anything." I explained my questioning.

Yasha gazed into space for a few moments, his expression unreadable. "I think," He started, looking down to meet my eyes, "That Naraku might have something to worry about."

I smiled up at him and stretched my spine up to plant a soft, sweet kiss, before snuggling back down into his warmth and closing my eyes.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

_Far from the group of so-called heros, Naraku sat deep within his hidden fortress, contemplating. He signaled to Kanna that he was done viewing the images she had shown him in her mirror._

_His brain was moving at lightning speed, trying to find a way to separate the little immortal and miko from their gang of friends long enough for him to get his hands on them. He had viewed their entire little sparring match from Kanna's mirror, almost impressed with how far both of their battle skills had improved. Kagome's purifying powers had always been troublesome, but now they were downright worrisome. And _

_Phoenix now no longer had to get close to her opponent to injure them. It made them both harder to get a hold of, but not impossible, he was Naraku, the master manipulator, after all._

_His thoughts flashed to a pale face with ebony hair falling over it's eyes, a snarling mouth, canines elongated in anger. He smiled. 'I think it's time I gave my new ally a mission...'_

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

Tonight was the night of the new moon. That was why Inuyasha had been a million miles away the other night after the discovery of my lightning attack. I had finally weaseled the answer out him after the fourth time he stuck his nose to the crook of my neck and inhaled real deep. When I had asked why he kept doing it, he just shrugged a little and mumbled that he was loosing his sense of smell as the day went on. I figured the rest out from there.

The night Inuyasha told me about his human night had been a little over a week ago, and the moon had gotten smaller and smaller every night since then. It would vanish tonight. I wondered what Inuyasha looked like as a human.. His ears would vanish, that much I knew (I mean, duh.), but I didn't know if his hair color would change, or his eye color, though I suspected they would. I mean, what human has his coloring? None.

Nothing much happened during the day. We passed through a village that did not need any demons exorcised, but they did have a group of thugs that thought they could kidnap Sango, Kagome, and I because we were girls, and therefore easy prey. That fight didn't last long. The guys never got a chance to intervene before Sango and I had dealt with them. Kagome couldn't really use her powers on humans, and swords weren't really necessary, though she did get a couple good punches in.

Other than that though, it was just a regular day, with lots of walking and complaining, and the usual interesting conversations.

I had gotten sick of walking (not tired, just lazy), so I jumped on Inuyasha's back and scrambled up to sit on his shoulders, fingers finding their way to play with his ears. He grumbled at that but didn't bat my hands away like he did sometimes. His ears were so soft, and cute when they twitched, how was I supposed to help myself? Really.

"You should join me up here, Kagome. It's got a nice view." I announced, grinning down at her.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm supposed to fit up there how?"

Raising an eyebrow, I pointed at Sesshomaru. "He's got other uses besides making out, too, you know." Sesshomaru growled at that, while Kagome just blushed at my comment. "Come on, you know he'd say yes if you asked all nice-like."

She just shook her head at me. "I think I'll pass, Phoenix. Besides, look at his armor."

I frowned and tilted my head, considering. She had a point. I let out a huge sigh like I was so disappointed and shrugged. "Your loss..."

"I think I'll live, but you just go on and have fun with sitting on those bony shoulders." Kagome teased back playfully.

"OI! I do not have bony shoulders!" Inuyasha protested loudly. Kagome just laughed.

Dropping down from his shoulders to cling to his back, I wrapped my arms around his neck in a hug. "Don't worry, Yasha. Kagome has skinny ankles." I whispered to him. We both laughed when Kagome turned around and stuck her tongue out at us.

The rest of the day went by in much the same way. It was actually really nice. Nobody was trying to kill us, we weren't chasing anybody down, nobody was bickering, just playful banter. I sighed contentedly, adjusting my legs to a more comfortable position around Yasha's waist, and pressing my cheek against his, causing my hair to fall down his shoulder and into his hair, making it look kinda awesome, if I do say so myself. My adjustment caused Yasha to have adjust his hold on me, and whilst doing so his fingers not-so-innocently groped my ass. Eyes widening and a blush flaring across my face, I flicked one his ears with my claw and buried my face in his neck. "There are children around, you know!" I hissed into his skin.

He just smirked. "Should I start calling you Miroku now?" That earned me a pinch. Stupid hanyou...

We continued walking towards the horizon, seeming to get closer and closer to the setting sun as time went on. We stopped for the night in a small village with an actual spirit haunting one of it's inns. Miroku took care of the spirit and we got a free resting place for the night.

Inuyasha was tense as the horizon turned an amazing array of pinks and oranges, the sun an almost red half-circle disappearing into the ground. When the sky turned purple, he slunk back into the inn and one of rooms lickety-split.

One room was for the adults, and the other, slightly smaller room was for the kids, Jaken, Ah Un, and Kirara, and Inutaisho, who said he would watch over the children (even he didn't much like Jaken, the toad.).

In my opinion he just didn't want to be in a room full teenage couples. And yes, Sesshomaru counts as a teenager still, he's like nineteen age-wise. And yes, again, Sango and Miroku count as a couple with their weird little dance of flirtation, jealousy, and denial. Kagome always slept near or with Sesshomaru, and I always slept in Inuyasha's lap (I don't think I'd be permitted to sleep anywhere else. Possessive dog.) Sango always made it a point to sleep as far away from Miroku and his wandering hands as she could get, but that didn't mean he crept closer and closer the deeper she fell asleep, and he kept his hands to himself! Probably only so he wouldn't get the pulp beat out of him by an irate demon slayer, come morning, but still!

I followed Yash inside at a much more normal pace (don't want to startle any skittish humans and have them set the inn on fire in the night). I made it to our room just as the sun set outdoors. I could tell the exact moment because of Inuyasha. His back was facing me, and I watched as his ears seemed to just slide down the sides of his head and disappear into his hair, which was now melting from the beautiful silver I had become accustomed to, into a jet black that seemed to absorb the torch light.

As I stepped closer to him, a floorboard beneath me creaked loudly into the silent air.

He whirled around fast for a temporary human, to see who it was, his eyes narrowed, mouth open in an instinctive snarl, even though he was now without fangs. I gasped aloud at the change in his features, hand flying to cover my mouth.

His eyes, his perfect-shade-of-gold eyes were gone, and in their place was an equally perfect-shade-of-violet purple pair. Before I even knew I was moving I was on my knees in front of him, hand outstretched. "Inuyasha.."

He turned away from, hair falling to cover his face. "Keh. I told you what would happen." He announced gruffly.

I placed the outstretched hand on his cheek, still kind of surprised at how pale I was compared to him. "I know you did.. I just never expected it to be so shocking. You still look pretty yummy, though, if I do say so myself." I tacked the end on, grinning cheekily.

It had the desired effect. He turned more towards me, the corner of his mouth twitching.

He covered my hand in one of his much larger ones, turning his face to plant a kiss in the center of the palm before dropping it. "You do look weird, though," I continued jokingly. "I miss your ears." I finished, rubbing the spots on his head where they should have been.

"I feel weird." He muttered. "No matter how many times I've gone through this, I never get used to it." He told me, turning back to where he had been situated before.

"Well," I said as I crawled around into his lap. "I'll protect you from any scary monsters." I placed a chaste kiss on his nose. "Just like you protect me."

He made a face, probably about being protected by a girl. I made a face back and snuggled into him, gazing through the crack in the door that lead to outside. The sky was that color of purple that crayon companies try to duplicate, but never get quite right.

The others filed in slowly after that, staking out a section of the room and either sitting or laying down. Rin peeked her head in slightly, eyes wide in askance on Sesshomaru.

After a slight nod of his head Rin was in and scurrying about the room and giving out good night hugs and kisses. I smiled at her when she hit Inuyasha and I, tweaking her nose before kissing her little cheek. She pouted up at Inuyasha until he begrudgingly kissed her cheek too, ruffling her hair before she ran off.

"Should I be worried about you kissing other girls now?" I teased him, shifting into a more comfortable position for the night.

He grumbled something unintelligible down at me, lifting me off his lap and onto the futon (that I had somehow failed to notice) beside us, before stretching out onto it and pulling me back into him. I pillowed my head on his chest, and slipping my hand just into the front of his haori, started rubbing circles lightly into his skin. He was tense, no matter how assured the look on his face was, he was still tense, and I knew he probably wouldn't sleep at all tonight.

He was slowly untensing - just a bit, and I suspect that that was all he would. I shifted just a bit, so my diaphragm could move easier, and started humming softly. Now that I was all super-Phoenix-like my voice was all prettier and junk, so even when I hummed, it sounded sweet.

I got a few looks from the others, but nobody said anything, so I continued to hum, occasionally singing. Not a song though, just a wordless melody.

It seemed as if I had just fallen asleep when a piercing scream from somewhere outside ripped me from my dreams.

Inuyasha and I both bolted upright at nearly the same moment, seeing our shock and confusion mirrored on the faces of the others (well, except for Sesshomaru). In the next moment we were all standing, weapons at the ready and following Sesshomaru out the door leading to the outside.

All my senses were on high-alert, and I was painfully aware of the fact that Inuyasha was no longer able to defend himself from most enemies. Tetsusaiga will not transform for a human, and he couldn't exactly rely on his strength and speed at the moment. I briefly considered turning around and telling him to wait back in the room, but that would only offend him and make him determined to follow. I'd just have to keep an eye on him, and protect him in his vulnerablility. There was no way I was letting him out of my sight.

Gathering my courage for his response, I turned to him just before we entered the main road of the village, where the action seemed to be happening. He looked down at me expectantly. I took a deep breath. "Stay close to me." I held up a hand when he opened his mouth to protest. "You protected me when I wasn't strong enough, now let me return the favor. And no, right now, no matter what you say, you are not strong enough to face a demon if that's what's out there. And I'm sorry if that pisses you off, but I'm not afraid to make you mad, or hurt your feelings if it comes to your safety." By the end of my mini-rushed-tirade my stance had changed from normal-Phoenix, to I-will-hurt-you-listen-to-me-Phoenix (in other words, shoulders braced, feet shoulder-length apart).

He looked ready to retaliate for a moment, before he kind of deflated a little and nodded grudgingly. My whole body kind of loosened with relief, I had no idea I had even tensed up. I beamed up at him and threw my arms around his shoulders for a quick kiss before turning around to catch up with the others.

They were standing in the middle of the road, postures tense, battle-stances, and in a loose semicircle. Sesshomaru's ears were slightly perked up, listening. Inuyasha and I

joined them, sliding easily into our places.

A villager was lying not far away, almost concealed in an alley between to buildings, covered in blood and heart fading fast. "What happened?" I asked, opening my senses further than I ever had before, almost becoming overwhelmed by everything there was to take in. I slid Kibo out, and held her at the ready, adrenaline starting to make me practically giddy.

Sesshomaru answered me. "Demon attack. Just one. Powerful." He stopped and sniffed the air. "Shielding his scent."

"He attacked three villagers. He seems to be waiting for us to make the first move now." Kagome informed me, she was the closest to me on my left, Inuyasha on my right. I slid my free hand into his, tightening my hold just a bit. This would be my first real fight against an opponent that's actually intelligent.

It seemed not even a second after I had grasped Inuyasha's hand that we were ripped apart, both jumping aside as a streak of black lightning struck from behind a hut across from us, exactly where our hands had been joined.

"Now, now, now, little sister. Fraternizing with the enemy?" A voice called out.

I immediately froze. That voice was familiar. I didn't know how, and I didn't know why, but I knew that voice. And I knew instinctively that that voice meant me harm.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

**I'm awful, I know. I've hit a wall of semi-writer's block type thing that vexes me . It's just all grrrr and stuck and not flowing from my fingers like usual and I tried to bite a nail off instead of clipping it last night and now it's all bloody and mutilated.**

**_This chapter has been edited. I started this story in 2010 and I wasn't as good a writer or grammar Nazi I am now. I didn't want to change the way things happened, even though some of it could be better... Anywhore, edited, but the same. Enjoy!_**

**Shadow**


	13. My Head Talks Back To Me

**Chapter 13! I feel an odd sense of accomplishment. No idea why. I started this story in 2010 I do believe. But, I did warn, and warn you I did. I know exactly where I want this chapter to go but I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to put it into words. I mean, you know what I mean? Of course you don't, I'm crazy babbling. Read on!**

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

Memories flashed before my eyes. Always hiding from him, he didn't like me. Never let him see me acting like a child, he would give me a slap, or box my ears. Don't let him see me cry, he would call me weak, and laugh at me. Running until my lungs hurt just so he wouldn't catch me. Clutching the back of my best friend's haori, knowing he would never bully me in front of Sesshomaru.

Pain flared across my scar, winding me. I would have fallen to the ground had multiple sets of arms not caught me. Stumbling into an upright position, I instinctively hurtled myself into Sesshomaru. It was what I always did when my brother would pick on me. To my surprise (and that of our companions, I would imagine) his hand - still clutching his sword - settled on my back. I had done this very move enough times when we were little that maybe it wasn't only instinct for me, but him too.

I gazed up at him with what I knew to be wide and terrified eyes. "How did he find me?" I whispered, fingers tangling in the pristine white fabric of Sesshomaru's haori. In my panic I had dropped Kibo somewhere in the dirt, causing her to automatically return to her sheath.

Sesshomaru didn't answer me, in favor of using his all his senses to scan the area around us, eyes never settling on the same place twice. More hands settled on my back and shoulders, Kagome and Sango murmuring questions at me, fingers starting to run through my hair in an attempt to calm me. There were slight notes of panic in their own voices, and I couldn't really blame them. Neither had seen me so completely immobilized by terror before, as Sesshomaru had when we were children.

I forced myself to swallow the lump forming in my throat and answer their concerns. "It's my brother. Well, half-brother, really." I murmured, faced pressed into my hands, speaking just loud enough for them to hear me. I turned my still-wide eyes on them. "He's come to finish the job he started. He's come to kill me."

At that Sesshomaru carefully extracted himself from my fingers and handed me over to them, disappearing between one hut and the next. I wasn't worried, though. There was a reason Sesshomaru was the one I ran too.

My thoughts were slowly returning to normal, and with them came an almost overwhelming dread, because Inuyasha was nowhere in my line of sight. I whirled around in a circle, almost going limp with relief when my eyes landed on him. A huge breath of air escaped me, and I beckoned him to me.

His eyes were filled with worry, and they kept shifting everywhere trying to get a glimpse of our attacker, but he walked towards me anyway.

And boy, was it a good thing he did, because not a second after he moved from where he was standing the same black lightning struck the ground where he had been, causing him to be flung forward, landing in front of Sango, Kagome and I. We all rushed to help him up, relieved when he shrugged us off as usual. I grasped his face in between my hands anyway, turning this way and that for injuries, ignoring his scowl. There was a scrape on his cheekbone from his landing, that was quickly starting to bruise.

I don't know what exactly triggered it. Maybe it was just the fact that Rion was still a murderous asshole, or the blossoming purple on Inuyasha's face (most likely that), but suddenly I was mad. And not just a little miffed. I was angry, pissed, furious beyond belief. And Sesshomaru's appearance, locked in battle with my brother really didn't help, considering the black figure wielding an equally dark sword was the object of my fury.

My vision started to bleed a dark purple, and I was shaking with my barely suppressed rage. I released Inuyasha and instructed the others to stay out of the way, in a strangely rasping voice. I wasn't sure what was happening, but I had an idea, and I didn't want any unnecessaries hurt. I stepped away from them then, and with a barely perceptible flick of my wrists summoned Shinko and Kibo out to play.

The entire field of my vision was tainted dark purple now, and my face and hands and feet all kinda felt weird, but I wasn't exactly worried about those at the moment. My terrorizing big brother was currently in my sights, and I was _not_ a helpless little girl any longer.

Before the thought of how to best attack even finished flickering through my mind I was moving. Within seconds I was sweeping my blade down towards my brother's conveniently exposed neck. He turned from Sesshomaru just in time to meet my blow head on. A satisfied smirk crossed my face when he couldn't just throw me from him like I somehow _knew_ he expected to be able to.

"_**What d'ya know? Not a helpless little bird anymore, am I?"**_ I teased, pulling Shinko up to support Kibo, pushing harder against his black blade. My voice still sounded odd, but I wasn't exactly worried about that at the moment.

He just sneered at me and pushed back. Thanks to my slight advantage of the element of surprise, we were incredibly close, enough so that I could lean over and snarl in his face, which is exactly what I was doing. _**"You **_**dare**_** try and harm what is **__**mine**__**?" **_Geez, I sound like I smoke six packs a day.

He just smirked at me and swept a leg towards mine, trying to sweep them out from under me, inspiring me to do this really cool backwards somersault through the air to avoid it.

When I landed and re-took up a battle stance, he was just standing where I had left him, the tip of his sword planted in the dirt, leaning against the pommel, chin in hand, examining me. "So your beast has surfaced I see, little sister." He commented casually, as if I hadn't just attempted to behead him. He started examining his claws, as if bored. "And in defense of one so lowly, compared to our royal blood. Tsk, tsk, tsk." His words drew another snarl from my lips, and a voice in the back of my mind urged me to just lose control and attack him.

He laughed and stood upright, and sheathed his sword. With a sweep of his arm and a mocking bow towards me, he took off, a threat floating on the wind back to me,"This isn't over, you'll see me again little sister, you can be sure of that."

I continued to stand where I was, opening all my senses to the brink of their abilities (which was pretty freaking cool and overwhelming at the same time, I might add), to be positive he was really gone. When I was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt, I ran back over to the others, vision still tainted purple.

Kagome was fussing over Inuyasha, wiping blood from his face with her little red scarf thingy. Deep down I knew she wasn't doing anything bad, or wrong, but somehow the sight of her touching _my_ Yasha, coaxed a deep warning growl from the back of my throat. The voice in the back of my mind purred approvingly, _**'Miko is touching what is ours. Remove the miko from mate.' **_Part of me shocked and appalled that I had even growled at Kagome, and that there was a voice _in my head_, actually _talking to me_. But a slightly larger part just really wanted her to stop touching Inuyasha.

That part won the internal debate, and lips still parted to reveal my canines, I approached them. Kagome had already removed her hands from my Yasha, but she was still standing a bit to close to him for comfort. Another growl started to rumble through my chest, prompting Sesshomaru to step forward and pull Kagome into his chest and away from Inuyasha. That pleased the freaky chronic smoker voice that was currently residing in my head. I should probably be worried that there is even a voice in my head in the first place.

I carefully took Inuyasha's face into my hands, noting in the back of my mind that my claws were freaky long and my wrist markings were looking all sorts of not-normal-funky. _**'Mate is hurt. Heal him.'**_ I didn't know what Smoky meant by that, but apparently my body did, because within the second I had leaned forward and ran my tongue across the scrape on Yasha's cheek, and again on the remaining bruise, before moving back to watch as the skin sealed itself back up, and the purple rapidly faded back to tan.

I don't remember much after that, besides Yasha pulling me into his chest, and kinda cuddling up to him while purring like a cat, almost. Then I guess I checked out for a bit because the welcoming darkness of unconsciousness overtook me.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

Holy crow, it felt like someone smuggled a Mack truck into the Feudal Era just to run me over with it. Not cool.

I groaned and rolled over, smack into a solid chest, which started chuckling. I spread my hands flat across it and buried my face between them. I knew this chest and I knew that chuckle. I slowly peaked an eye open against the light and peered up at a demonified Inuyasha. "What time is it?" I croaked out, glad my voice was at its normal higher pitch instead of chronic smoker, and that everything was its normal color and not all purply.

"Too late to still be sleeping." Was the reply I got. Smart ass. At least he's cute. I mumbled something unintelligible even to my own ears and reburied my face into his chest, slipping my arms around his waist.

"Is everyone okay? I remember that we were attacked last night, but the rest is kind of fuzzy besides everything being purple and a freaky smoker-voice inside my head. Nobody was hurt, right?" I questioned, suddenly extremely worried. I knew _something_ had gone down last night, I just wasn't completely positive _what_.

Yasha rubbed the back of his neck and slipped an arm around my waist, standing us both up. "I ain't the best person to explain that to you." He started walking us to the door, and then to the kid's room. "Come on, the others are all in here."

Everyone was piled around on the floor. Kagome in Sesshomaru's lap, Rin and Shippo in Kagome's lap, Kirara snuggled in the crook where Ah and Un's necks met their body, Sango a safe distance from Miroku's wandering hand, Inutaisho up against the wall and Jaken sulking in a corner. Wow, I never realized how many people were in our little gang until now. I mean, yeah I knew all of them, and didn't just suddenly realize that there was a person I had never noticed before - I'm not _that_ scatter-brained - I just realized that there were ten of us, not even counting Ah Un and Kirara, which makes thirteen!

I waited until Inuyasha sat down, then plopped myself into his lap, settling my hands on top of his when he wound his arms around my waist. He was just tall enough, and I was just short enough, that we fit together perfectly. The thought made me smile and snuggle closer into him. "So, what freakiness occurred to me now?" I questioned, as if we weren't about to discuss a serious lapse in my ability to recall things that happened in the last twenty-four hours.

It was a serious testament to how integrated I was in our group now that they only rolled their eyes at me (*cough* Kagome *cough*). I stuck my tongue out at her and switched my gaze to Inutaisho. He was the all-knowing one in our little gang. "Your beast surfaced, nothing else." Well, when you put it that way. Geez, it's not like I'd like details or anything. I just raised an eyebrow at him, a habit I picked up from Sesshomaru at some point (Kagome does it too, so don't chide me for being easily impressionable!).

He chuckled at my expression. "You already know all about it from lessons in your youth."

Ugh, memory-diving time. Yup, there it is. Learning about demons and beasts. "So, it's like you guys' inner demons. I get it, I get it." He nodded as I spoke. "So what happened?"

"Your brother tried to beat you up and you licked Inuyasha's face!" Shippo piped up from Kagome's lap.

I turned to look up at Inuyasha. "Why did I lick your face?"

"Keh. Hell if I know." He scoffed, the faintest tinge of pink taking over his face. I rolled my eyes and looked to someone else for an explanation.

Miroku supplied an answer. "He was injured in an attack from your brother, and your beast felt the need to warn Kagome off and heal him yourself." Nice way to make me blush there, Roku.

"I didn't like, hurt you, did I, Kagome?" I asked her, suddenly worried that I had.

She just shook her head and smiled at me, like was her way. "No, you just growled at me a bit. You were protecting him, in your mind, I'm sure." Damn, Kagome is just too nice and sweet sometimes. When I told her as much, she just laughed and told me it wasn't the first time she had heard that. "Now," She began again, face serious. "We're close to Sesshomaru's home, so we're going to drop the kids, Jaken, and Ah Un off there. Inutaisho has kindly decided to stay there with them. If there's anything you won't need, pack it on Ah Un."

I glanced down at what I was wearing. A faded pair of cutoffs from Kagome and the tank top I was wearing when this whole adventure started. I scooped up my bag and plopped it near the dragon. "I'm fine with this." I said, gesturing down to my outfit.

Kagome nodded and leaned down to murmur something in Shippo's ear. He didn't look like he was to happy about being left behind, poor little guy. I wouldn't like it to much myself, either.

I wriggled myself into a position that let me conversate easier with Inuyasha. "So what happened after I was out?" I asked quietly, watching Shippo giggle loudly from something Kagome had whispered in his ear. Gah, he was so cute sometimes.

Yasha lifted and repositioned me, before answering. "One of the villagers died, and I'm pretty sure the other two ain't far behind. They were the only ones attacked by your brother though, nobody else was touched. And we think they were only attacked because they were either in the way or refused to tell him where we were staying. He didn't really have any time to harass the village before we were onto him." He briefed me. "And I'm pretty damn sure that I don't like watching you fight." He finished gruffly in my ear.

I turned a questioning glare onto him. Did he seriously think that shit was gonna fly with me? I scowled and opened my mouth to give him the what-for, but he covered it with his hand. "Will ya let me finish, wench?" He growled down at me. "I seen with my own two eyes that you're capable of defending yourself, that doesn't mean I fuckin' like watching it. Every time that bastard's sword came swinging toward you I wanted to rip him to fucking shreds." His arms tightened around my waist. "It goes against every instinct in me to even let someone like him near my- near you." He settled his chin on my head. "I just want to protect you." _What had he almost called me?_

The out-of-character softness that his voice took on when he said he just wanted to protect me had me loosening up out of my stiff posture and gently removing his hand from my mouth, just to plant a kiss on his palm. I leaned back and placed a hand on his cheek. "You can protect me," I told him sincerely, looking him in his Phoenix-puddle-making golden eyes. "Just realize that I can protect myself, too, okay?"

At his nod I beamed up at him and placed a chaste kiss on the tip of his nose, along with a swift but gentle tug to his ear. God, I fucking loved his ears.

Turning back to the others, I noticed them packing camp up in preparation to head out. I stood up and pulled Inuyasha with me to finish helping pack Ah Un up. "So what are the plans after we stop at Sesshy's crib?" I asked Kagome.

She dusted her hands together before placing them on her lower back to stretch out before answering me. "Well, obviously there are still shards out there that Naraku doesn't have yet, and we _are_ still on the hunt for those, so we'll continue on with that and Sesshomaru thinks we would benefit from a visit to Bokseno, because he knows, like, everything."

My brain was still kind of stuck on what Inuyasha had almost called me earlier, so I wasn't paying attention to most of what she said, but I did catch the unfamiliar name. "Bokwho?"

She laughed and answered me. "Bokseno, he's a _reeeally_ old magnolia tree demon."

Whaa? "There are tree demons? Seriously?" Cool.

"Yes, Phoenix, there are tree demons." Sango said, joining our conversation with a chuckle. "There are actually all kinds of demons, not just animalistic ones. I mean, take you for example. You're an immortal, yes, but you're also classified as a demon. Your power and energy come from your soul the same way Kagome's reiki does, or Sesshomaru or Inuyasha's youki."

"That's pretty cool, actually, Sango. You sure know a lot about it." It was easy to forget that Sango knew more about demons than just how to kill them.

Our conversation continued as we set off, Sango and Kagome each sharing with me things they hand learned about demons and holy people, while I just listened and absorbed. It never hurt to learn things, Phoenix knows. Wow, I really gotta stop thinking in third person...

We reached Sesshy's palace with day to spare, so we only stayed long enough to have an actual meal for once, and have our - tearful - goodbyes with the kids. I don't know which one was more distraught, Shippo or Kagome. Rin was a little glum, but she was used to this, and it took a whole lot more to knock that kid down a notch on the cheerful scale.

After finally prying Shippo from Kagome, we set back out to hunt for some jewel shards. Hopefully we would come across some soon, because we haven't in awhile and it's making Inuyasha more than a little antsy about it when the subject comes up. He really wanted the jewel to be whole for some reason I have yet to learn. Strange, I've never really wondered about it until now. I'll have to ask him later...

By the time dark was approaching Kagome hadn't sensed any jewel shards near, so we set up camp in the nearest clearing and set about going to sleep. It was weird without the kids, or even annoying little Jaken making noise and mischief about our camp, but it was a necessary weirdness to keep them safe.

I drifted off that night thinking about the kids and wondering if I was missed by my parents as much as our little bundles of joy were.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

**Ciao, my pretties! Here's your thirteenth chapter! **

**Shadow**


	14. Encountering Kikyo

**Hello my pretties! Chapter 14 is finally here! It should come out wayyyy sooner than chapter 13 did, but I don't know. I'm extremely busy sitting on my couch and watching Tom and Jerry, and Ink Master. Anywhore, I kinda have no idea where I want this chapter to go, like, I have an idea of what I want to happen in it, but that idea won't type the chapter for me, so bare with me... Enjoy!**

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

Kagome stopped walking suddenly, nearly causing me to bump into her. "What is it, Kags? Jewel shard near?" I questioned as I walked around in front of her.

She shook her head violently, her somewhat steely gaze turning to find Inuyasha. "Kikyo is near."

I immediately stiffened and dived into my stolen memories of Inuyasha's for her scent, keeping an eye on Yash at the same time. He was stiff backed and alert, eyes searching the skies for her soul collectors, and nose subtly twitching. I narrowed my eyes at him and didn't even bother with subtlety, thrusting my senses out into the world around, both searching for her aura and scent. I barely contained my growl when her scent filtered through my nose on the breeze, and it was beyond me to try and stop the scary-sounding snarl that escaped me when her aura brushed across mine.

The proverbial hackles raised, and all the fine hairs on my body were standing on end. My lips pulled back from my teeth of their own accord and my muscles tensed further into a semi-battle stance. Every instinct in my body was shouting at me to destroy what approached, to protect my friends from it.

My reaction did not go unnoticed as Kikyo got closer and closer, but never actually approached us directly. A trio of soul collectors appeared above the trees to our left, weaving lazily through the air above then back towards the forest.

That bitch was trying to lure Inuyasha to her! That shit ain't gonna fly. Nuh. Uh. Before that thought process was finished I was leaping into the air and ripping the damn soul worms to shred with my bare hands.

When I landed I threw the still twitching remains at Inuyasha's feet. He couldn't quite meet my eyes. "You decide right now. Me or her?" I demanded, pointing at the slowly diminishing corpse pieces.

That made him meet my eyes finally. I could tell immediately that he was torn. I knew Inuyasha and I hadn't been together together for long, and I didn't know if he loved me yet, or if I even loved him, but I was damn sure I was not putting up with Kikyo coming and stealing him away to toy with his emotions whenever she felt like it. It was me or her, and that was fucking that.

By this point Yash's ears were flat against his head and he was having trouble holding my burning stare. I narrowed my eyes further at him and crossed my arms, my right foot starting to tap of it's own volition.

Suddenly Kikyo's aura flared out towards us, a clear beckoning to my hanyou. Said hanyou scowled at the ground and crossed his arms obstinately across his chest. He finally glared back into my eyes. "She could have information about Naraku." He said, sticking his chin out, teeth clenched, ears perking back up.

"Or she could be working with Naraku. Again." My tone was almost downright hateful at this point.

The fight seemed to flow out of Inuyasha at that remark, because his shoulders drooped and his ears fell back down. "Keh. You're right.. She could be."

I relaxed my stance considerably and quit glaring at him at that. "Or she could be here to try and steal Kagome's soul again. She isn't safe and she isn't the Kikyo you once knew anymore. She's like a zombie and that shit ain't right. Everything in me is telling me to kill the abomination or get my ass out of dodge as soon as fucking possible, along with all of you." I sighed and uncrossed my arms, reaching for his to tug them loose and grab his hands. "But she could also have information about Naraku."

Dropping his hands and shooting him a smile, I walked over to Kagome and slung an arm around her shoulders. We were almost the same height now. "That's why Kagome and I are going to go greet her and invite her back to our camp for the night." When I finished I looked up at Kagome to see if she was agreeable to that. She just shrugged and looked at Sesshomaru. He gave me a look that clearly promised pain if I let his intended come to harm and nodded. "Great!" I exclaimed and presented my back to Kagome. "Hop on, 'Gome!"

"Uh, Phoenix?" I looked back over my shoulder at her, eyebrow raised. "I'm kind of bigger than you.. Won't that be awkward?" I rolled my eyes and grabbed one of her wrists to sling her onto my back. "You're not that much bigger than me, and with my immortally-ness you weigh like nothing." I informed her as I adjusted my hold on her legs and took off towards Kikyo's aura.

Kagome grumbled in my ear a bit about my being bonier than Sesshomaru but she quieted as we got nearer to Kikyo. I knew she was apprehensive about going to her, instead of her coming to us.

I murmured quiet reassurances to her as we came upon Kikyo. She was sitting up in an older tree, her soul collectors all about her.

At our arrival they gathered around her and lifted her out of the tree to float eerily to the ground.

Hot damn, she was gorgeous. There was a resemblance between her and Kagome, but after a few moments of looking at her I could see the differences. Her eyes were a cold grey, where Kagome's were a warm brown, and she was paler, but that could just be because she was dead. Her hair was straight where Kagome's had waves in it, and she was definitely taller than Kagome. And damn, she smelled. Even worse, she smelled like death.

My entire evaluation of her took place in seconds, and it seemed like hers of me took just about as long. "Where is Inuyasha?" She asked Kagome after a few moments of silence. Even her voice gave me the heebie jeebies. It felt like someone had just poured freezing water over my head, making goosebumps descend upon my skin.

"Back at camp with the others." I answered her before Kagome could even open her mouth. "Do you have information for us? Or were you just nearby and decided to mess with Yasha's head?" I asked both questions sweetly, tacking on a smile that didn't reach my eyes but definitely showed my teeth.

Her cold eyes narrowed at me. "Do I know you, demon?"

"I'm not a demon, honey. I can sure act like one, but I'm not. My name is Phoenix and if you are just here to mess with my Yasha, you can collect your little bugs and leave." This was said in the same pleasant tone of voice, with the same smile at the end, that caused Kagome to snort out a little laugh before she could contain it. Damn, Phoenix is a jealous biotch, it seems.

Kikyo narrowed her eyes further at me. But didn't respond to me though, instead she turned her cold eyes to Kagome and instructed her to lead her to our camp. "You'll have to keep up." I informed her, before grabbing a surprised Kagome and taking off back towards the others.

"That wasn't very nice." Kagome grumbled in my ear as she tried to find a more comfortable position on my somewhat-bony back. Okay, you can't see my bones, but it's not hard to push on my kin and find them, and Kagome's bony thighs were doing a pretty good job of that. Next time I'm just going to carry her in my arms. Or walk, and take forever to get there.

We were back to the others in no time, Kikyo irritatingly not far behind us.

I dropped Kagome next to Sesshomaru and promptly sat myself in Inuyasha's lap, glare fixated on Kikyo. Damn, I was acting like a possessive little thing. Oh well.

"Do you have any news of Naraku?" Kagome asked after a moment of tense silence.

Kikyo moved her gaze from Inuyasha to Kagome, and shook her head slightly. "None. I approached you in the hopes that maybe you had some new information." Ha. Information seeking, my ass. I must have snorted my contempt out loud, because suddenly both Kagome and Kikyo were glaring at me. I held my hands up as a sign of surrender and snuggled deeper into Inuyasha. His arms came up and around me, adjusting my position. Now if Yasha had to stand up suddenly, I wouldn't take much of a tumble to the ground. Awe, that's my Yasha, acting like I might break when I can most likely take more of beating than him.

I kind of tuned out Kagome and Kikyo and the others conversation until my name popped up more than just a couple times, so I knew they were talking about me. " -napped her, though. So there's some interest there." Sango had just finished saying. So they were talking about me.

Kagome was nodding her head in agreement with Sango. "Yeah, and I'm pretty sure that he's the one who sent Phoenix's brother after us, too. I mean, that had Naraku written all over it."

I perked up and prepared myself for joining in the conversation. "He never was one to act on his own, Jei. I bet Naraku was the one to send him. And it doesn't surprise me at all that he would hook up with Naraku. He's been intent on inheriting the Northern Lands since before I was born." The old fear and anger were starting to settle back into me. "Jei has never stood to inherit them, ever. He's not a trueborn son of the Lord and Lady of the North. He's just a bastard my father accidentally got on some wench in the village he grew up near. My mother is the only child the last Lord and Lady had." I could fuzzily remember my grandparents, but only barely. They were old and never really had time for children when there were servants for that.

Everyone was staring at me with varying degrees of interest, especially Kikyo. "You are the heir to the North?" She questioned, tone of voice and expression giving nothing away, though I was still wary of her.

I assumed my best Sesshomaru expression - gaze haughty, eyebrow slightly raised - and straightened my spine. "Yes, I am." Something in her gaze changed then, but I couldn't quite discern what before she had stood up and said goodbye, disappearing into the forest in the opposite direction of where she came.

**XxxXxxXxxXxxX**

**Okay, I know, I know. I took forever. I had the worst writer's block I have ever experienced writing this, plus senior year stress, and some personal mental health issues. I'm trying, people. And this story WILL get finished, just in the future on a not-yet-set date, okay? I couldn't recall ever mentioning Phoenix's half brothers name, but if I did, disregard that, because his name is Jei from this point on. Thanks for reading!**

**Shadow**


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